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08/15/2019 12:01 AMA discussion about how to capture the night sky with amateur astrophotography will be offered at the Henry Carter Hull Library on Thursday, Aug. 22 at 6 p.m. at the library, 10 Killingworth Turnpike, Clinton.
The talk will feature astrophotographer Jim Mazur who will discuss the equipment required and tips for getting started. Modern telescopes and cameras make it possible for amateur astronomers to take pictures of the night sky that rival those from major observatories. Mazur, who has been doing astrophotography since the 1960s, will present some of his pictures of targets ranging from the moon and planets to distant nebulae and galaxies. He will show the equipment he uses and demonstrate how computer image processing can transform crude raw images into beautiful finished products. Some types of astrophotography can be done with an ordinary DSLR camera or even a cell phone. Suggestions and tips for getting started in astrophotography will be discussed, as well as the types of equipment one needs for more advanced astrophotography.
“Messier 81, Bode’s Galaxy, is a beautiful spiral galaxy, one of the nearest to us. At magnitude 6.8, it is fairly easy to see with binoculars, but all that can be seen is a faint oval patch of light,” Mazur says. “Even through very large telescopes, the intricate details in this photograph cannot be seen visually. However, with a low-power eyepiece, the nearby galaxy Messier 82 can be seen in the same field of view, making this one of the most impressive galaxy pairs visible through amateur telescopes.”