Posts by Steve Dittmar
Andromeda Galaxy + Two Neighbors
My first stab at the Andromeda Galaxy, and I’m pretty pleased.
Read MoreFixing up the new (to me) 12″ Orion xt12i telescope
June 2021 Partial Solar Eclipse
On June 10th, 2021 around 4:30am the Sun started going through an annular eclipse. Had I been quite a bite more north, I could’ve looked forward to a “ring of fire”; it’s a notch I’d like to make in my belt some day, but then so was imaging a partial eclipse. For the uninitiated; the…
Read MoreMars – 10.8.2020
Bright, but clear skies still get in the way If you had a heartbeat this week and consumed any form of news you probably heard about Mars being the brightest it will be in our sky for another 15 years or so. Technically that pinnacle was reached on October 6th, but due to sky conditions…
Read MoreThe Mid Hudson Astronomical Association
A year or two ago my neighbor started running his outdoor lights on automation late into the night. Unfortunately, they happen to be in direct sight of where I normally set up my scope. The inconvenience was affecting how frequent I would setup; I needed to find an easy way to access a darker site…
Read MoreThe Adirondack Sky Center Astrophotography Conference
The story of my experience with the Adirondack Sky Center (previously the Adirondack Public Observatory) begins after I bought my new telescope at NEAF 2014. Had I not discovered the astrophotography workshop I may have quit the hobby long ago. In fact, I found it so useful and had so much fun that I’ve gone…
Read MoreThe Northeast Astronomy Forum Expo
In 2014 I learned about the Northeast Astronomy Forum Expo, hosted every April by the Rockland Astronomy Club at the Rockland Community College in Suffern, NY. It advertises being the world’s largest space and astronomy expo with two days of guest speakers for topical presentations, a gymnasium full of booths from nationwide astronomy vendors and…
Read MoreWhy Astrophotography?
If I may paraphrase (bastardize) FDR’s famous quote: I choose to photograph the moon in this decade and photograph the deep sky objects, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. The challenge is definitely an element of why I enjoy astrophotography; the pay off of overcoming that difficulty is quite rewarding. But…
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