Long
captivated by the wonders of the night sky, it's been a desire to photograph
images of celestial wonders that are millions of light-years away. Film cameras
and film processing weren't something I wanted to tackle, which is why my
interest was rekindled when I saw digital cameras being used for
astrophotography in the late 2000s. But, even as a lifelong "tech" guy,
the complexity, steep learning curve and considerable amount of time that was
devoted to post-processing each
image along with the high cost still wasn't what I was hoping for.
Years
later my curiosity was again piqued but this time by all-in-one devices that—in
combination with a smart device—made astrophotography amazingly simple,
surprisingly affordable and downright fun. Finally, a single, ultra-portable,
battery-operated solution that allowed me to travel to dark viewing sites
without a cumbersome carload of equipment, set up in minutes and begin imaging. That event
marked an astronomical turning point for me.
Today,
I am so fascinated by the remarkable technological accomplishment of what is now known as
the Smart Telescope that my collection†
has grown to five current
models I can
compare and enjoy.
So that's my story. What will your
story be?
Wishing you clear skies and
memorable discoveries...
Astronomy Guy
† To remain as an objective
resource, all equipment is purchased retail.
Image: M33 - Triangulum Galaxy
(2.7 million light-years from Earth)
Credit: Astronomy Guy