Being one of the oldest recorded sciences in history, astronomy remains one of the few even amateurs can participate and contribute in.
It was 15 years ago. The sun has just set and the sky is cloudless, as it gets darker. After a drive of 15 miles in the opposite direction of the city center in order to look at the stars, the lights and sounds from the metropolis appear in the distance.
Curious about the strange device pointed in direction of the sky, I incline to look into the eyepiece of the telescope. It is breathtaking. A planet with rings surrounding it catches my eye. It is Saturn, the sixth planet of the solar system, roughly 746 million miles away from the Earth.
It seems so far away and yet, so close at the same time. At this moment, I realize how small I am in such big universe, amazed by the possibilities we have to explore this vast emptiness above us. Not even having to be an expert in astronomy.
Reaching the stellar experience
I faced this epiphany again last week in the Acre Road observatory in Glasgow, while attending a weekly encounter with the Astronomical Society of Glasgow (ASG). This session was about looking at stellar bodies and learning the basics about astronomy and astrophotography.
Gathered around telescopes and controllers in order to share their knowledge with the audience, members of the ASG are teaching people how to find celestial objects with a telescope.
Chris O’Kane, council member of the ASG says: “The main purpose of the society is to promote astronomy in all its forms.”
Whether visitors are experts or beginners in studying celestial bodies, the ASG is welcoming everybody willing to know more about the universe. Individuals are welcomed along with their own equipment. However, if they are here out of curiosity, people can borrow the club’s devices. O’Kane said:
“We are the door openers for the next generation”.
Space study is positioning itself as one of the few sciences that is easy to reach for anybody interested enough to learn more about the practice. According to the council member, the reason for this is that no specific requirements or knowledge is needed to own a telescope.
The interest in stars is growing. According to O’Kane there is a reason for this. “Today, because of the internet and because of television, there is so much more interest in Astronomy".
Filming by Emili Knutson and Lucie Jung.
Star hunting and the art of astrophotography
With the technology we possess today it is possible to engrave the image of the celestial bodies’ grandeur both in mind and photograph.
The first picture of a stellar object, the Moon, was taken in 1840. Even though it has been a few years since we were first able to immortalise a stellar object within a frame, astrophotography is now becoming easier to access with new technology and online information.
Colin Robb, member of the ASG, is sharing O’Kane’s interest in taking pictures of planets and constellations through telescopes.
Talking to him, he keeps adjusting his device in the night by using controllers. According to him, taking pictures through a telescope is not as hard as it looks. He explained that at its simplest, anybody can take a shot by pointing a camera or a smartphone directly on the eyepiece of a telescope.
Adjusting his red frontal light, the star hunter added: “This is known as the A-Focal method. But generally, you can attach any DSLR, using the correct adapter [Canon, Niko or Pentax], to any telescope and away you go.”
For real connoisseurs, more complex methods are available to take photographs such as “a modified DSLR (Infra-red filter removed), or cameras especially for design astrophotography only”, the photograph continued.
If you want to get a good photograph, here is some advice:
- Be ready. Learn how to use your device, how to find stellar objects in the sky and how to keep them in the eyepiece of the telescope. Celestial object are constantly moving because of the Earth’s rotation. The further away the subject are, the more it will seem to move in your vision. Know that it is easier to have a motorization system on your device.
- Be aware. Check the weather before going to the star hunting. The sky needs to be cloudless for good quality pictures.
- Be prepared. Go few miles away from the city to shoot. It’s better to avoid light pollutions.
- Be well equipped. Be sure you have a good adaptor for your camera to screw it on a telescope or it won’t work.
- Be at ease. Wear comfortable shoes and warm clothes. It can take time to get the photography you want.
- Be astute. Work with red lights. It is better to maintain dark adaption for nighttime viewing and less disturbing for the eyes.
- Be organized. Use the timer on your camera. By doing this there is no risk that the camera will move and disturb the picture when it is taken.
Published in Maze Magazine: http://maze-mag.com/space-study-the-science-that-everybody-can-access
