Kevin's Astrophotography Page

Amateur Astrophotography

Here it is. My first attempt at photography through a telescope. The first pictures were taken in my back yard in Nickelsville, Virginia late in the Summer season using my Meade Polaris 114EQ 4" reflector telescope and a small ccd camera. The 2 pictures at the bottom were taken with a 35mm film SLR camera in Autumn.

Before we get to the pictures, I would like to ask you to please help reduce light pollution.
If you really need some light around your home, please consider these ideas:

* Don't use large Mercury Vapor lights. Yes they light things up like daylight around your home but unfortunately they are so bright they light your neighbors yard up too.

* Don't use Flood Lights. If you must use them install a motion sensor so they are only on when you need them. These can also light up your neighbors yard weather they want it or not.

* Use Low Voltage Landscaping lights. They put out enough light to see by but aren't so bright they interfere with neighbors.

* Simply turn off your outside lights if you're not outside.

Small things like this can help you be a good neighbor.

Click Here to visit the web page of the International Dark Sky Association

Now, on to the pictures!

Moon Picture

Moon Picture using a 3X Barlow lens.

Jupiter, note one of the moons appearing as faint spot at bottom right.

Jupiter, using a 3X Barlow lens.

Saturn, using a 3X Barlow lens.

The following photos were taken using a 35mm SLR film camera and a 50mm lens.
Since I live out in the country and had all of my outside lights off, these pictures should have been
blacker. Unfortunately neighboring lights interfered with the detail of fainter objects.

M31 - The Andromeda Galaxy.

This is a 5 minute exposure on Fuji 800 film.
The camera was piggy backed on my telescope to make use of the tracking motor.

This is a 10 minute exposure on Fuji 800 film with the camera mounted on a tripod and aimed at Polaris.
Notice the light pollution was so bad you can see the tree tops in the bottom of the frame as well as a haze.

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