Light Pollution Demonstration

NEW Animated Astrophotography Link!

To the right is a link to my latest project, an animated movie of the crescent moon occulting (passing in front of) M45 (the Pleiades) on April 1, 2006.

NEW PHOTOS UPLOADED (all from New Mexico)*

*Check out my NEW LINK to the right called "New Mexico Skies CCD images!" which includes (or will include) the photos I've taken out in New Mexico using the cameras, telescopes, computers and software at New Mexico Skies. This is what moving to a truly dark area and spending (at least) tenfold what I've already spent could eventually get me. Keep checking it out for additions. I visited there July 2005 with a couple friends and then the first week in January, 2006 by myself. You can't get much opposite a night sky as that. Enjoy. (I still have many photos taken with my own camera to post, but I couldn't wait anymore for these special photos to see the light of e-day.)

New News

NOTE: Just because you don't see new posts on this page doesn't mean that there aren't new posts in the links to the right (below my profile). That is, after all, where the main bulk of my photographs are! I just photographed this new big sunspot but it is not web ready yet. Unfortunately, I discovered a quirk in my telescope's directional hand control and sent it and the EQ mount back for repairs (again)...

Milky Way Panoramic

This northern hemisphere summer view of our Milky Way Galaxy is composed from a dozen or so wide field shots, each 5 minute exposures, taken July 2005 at Casita de Gila, NM. The stitch job is a bit haphazard since I eyeballed the distortion and blending to make the photos match, and in a few spots the seams are showing. This category will encompass large fields of view, such as constellations and panoramics. Below is a new "interpretation" of the same photos assembled using Photoshop's Photomerge (which still presented problems). All in all I think the image is a bit better quality and that annoying green haze is gone. What do YOU think?

Andromeda Galaxy

The mighty Andromeda Galaxy (M31) flanked by the smaller M32 & M110. Other than the motor drive on the telescope mount holding the camera steady (i.e. piggyback) this image was not taken through the telescope's optics - just a telephoto camera lens. This photo represents the deep sky objects, which will be the largest subcategory of photos at this site. M31, by the way, is the most distant object visible to the naked eye.

Lightning Strike in Mosquero, NM

One of two successful lightning photographs, taken the same evening in July, 2004. Perhaps a bit dangerous (storm was still somewhat distant), I haven't attempted it since. All you need is a storm, a safe distance, patience, luck, and a bulb feature. Let this be the flagship for my terrestrial photos (whenever they arrive - see links to the right).

Sunset over the Grand Canyon

This sunset photo was taken over the Grand Canyon late July or Early August, 2004, on my camera's first true outing. If I'm clever, I'll soon have a link here for SOLAR SYSTEM photos; that is, the sun, moon and planets. I'm not yet sure how I'll organize/subdivide the link to my more massive collection of DEEP SKY images (constellations, galaxies, star clusters, nebulae). And if you've really been behaving yourselves I may even get around to some terrestrial shots.

Galaxy Face

This picture is a composite of individual photographs taken by me with my telescope and/or camera or by me and a friend using equipment at New mexico Skies. How many objects can you guess? This image was originally conveived as (and will be) the cover art for my upcoming music CD (hence its squareness). As this is my first blog/website in MANY years, I'll keep it simple at first just to see how the process works and looks. What do you think? More to come later...