Register below!
Urban Astrophotography: Solar System Imaging (2024)
Thursdays: October 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21; Dec. 5, 12
7-9 PM, online
$75 for AAA members, $90 non-members.
Jupiter November 8, 2023 from class demo
Questar 3.5”/TV 5X PowerMate/ZWO 385MC
This course is about creating quality images of solar system objects using telescopes, planetary imaging cameras, and computers. The image of Jupiter above was shot from Yonkers with a 3.5 inch Maksutov telescope. Backyard imaging has never been easier and we can get results one might have associated with a serious observatory 20 years ago.
We are aiming to help beginners and to update more experienced imagers on relevant software and hardware. We also set the course timing for best positioning of Saturn and Jupiter for live capture demos.
Some objects are sufficiently bright that the city’s light pollution is irrelevant for imaging. Note that planetary imaging works best with telescopes with high focal lengths (at least 600mm) and tracking mounts (essential for focal lengths > 1000 mm). We control small planetary imaging cameras ($130-300 new) with laptops using popular freeware, shooting high frame rate movies which are processed to overcome atmospheric turbulence — this enables the camera to reveal details of Jupiter or Mars well beyond what can be seen visually through the eyepiece. I plan to do more this year on solar imaging as many members have invested in H-alpha gear which reveals the amazing solar activity underway and expected to continue for another couple of years. We can also discuss how to use SeeStar or filters you may have acquired for the eclipse as another means of following the ongoing solar maximum. We’ll use most of one or two later sessions to workshop student images — we’re proud of the community of NYC area imagers who have joined these classes since 2018 and we know it is fun to learn from each other.
Some of 2024’s crazy unstable sunspots and prominences in H-alpha
Questar 3.5”/DayStar Quark/QHY 5iii 174
You don’t need to own a telescope or camera to take the class — one of our key objectives is to help students understand what equipment is needed either to start from scratch or to supplement existing gear. NB there are “many ways to skin the cat” for astrophotography. We are very familiar with some gear, software, and techniques that work. There are others which work but lie beyond our expertise. As we proceed through the course we’ll be interested in hearing about successful use of other approaches.
For AAA members who want to learn to use DSLRs for Milky Way and other Nightscape photography (like great shots of the moon over the skyline), please watch for Stan Honda’s excellent Night Sky Photography course which has little to no content overlap with this course.
For AAA members who want to know more about imaging Deep Sky targets from the metropolitan area, or processing images from the Gateway Remote Telescope, we plan to teach Urban Astrophotography: Deep Sky again in 2025. Deep Sky is more complex and typically requires different gear, software and techniques. But rest assured, that plenty of nebula, clusters, galaxies and comets can be imaged successfully from the city and we’re happy to continue to build the community of urban imagers from our base in NYC. If you have taken one of the AAA astrophotography courses since 2019 and have questions regarding the wisdom of taking this class, please contact Mauri at [email protected] to discuss.
Instructor: Mauri Rosenthal combined longstanding hobbies of backyard astronomy and
photography to begin astrophotography in earnest 9 years ago. Surprised by the image quality
achievable with small telescopes from his yard in Westchester County, Mauri has been
developing deep expertise in Ultraportable Urban Astrophotography and is on a mission to
use new technology to extend the access of city-dwellers to the wonders of the night sky. In
concert with colleagues at AAA.org, Mauri has developed and taught several rounds of Urban
Astrophotography Courses since 2019. Follow Mauri’s imaging on Instagram or Flickr. You can
hear a lot about Mauri’s approach to Urban Astrophotography in this recorded presentation
to Westchester Amateur Astronomers: Urban Astrophotography Update by Mauri Rosenthal 2022
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REGISTER IN THE TICKETS WINDOW BELOW *
* IMPORTANT: your receipt will contain the Google Classroom (GC) link. The GC is used for class materials and recordings, communicating with the instructor and classmates, and getting the Zoom link to join each class after 6:45 PM. Click that GC link immediately to be added to the roster.
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