I decided back in 2022 that my weird middle aged white guy hobby was going to be astrophotography, which is a great way to spend a lot of money being cold and cranky.

I feel like just over 2 years in, I have a solid grasp on capturing. At this point, I need to learn how to go about processing the images I gather.

That’s going to be it’s own journey, and one I hope is less expensive than collecting telescopes (I currently own four).

Anyway, here are some recent images I’ve captured.

Not terribly happy with this one (do an image search for Monkey Head Nebula and you’ll immediately see why). This is mostly just down to lack of data – I think I have about 15 minutes worth of exposure in that one. But! More processing skills than I currently possess would surely bring out more in the image.

Mars was a goal for a long time. Timing has been an issue, as much of the past several months Mars was only visible from where I am at ungodly hours. I’ve managed to center it a time or two with my non-photography setup, and with a good Barlow I’ve gotten to see … about as much detail as in the image above.

I’ll keep trying, though!

If you’re interested in seeing more pictures like these from me (when you can get better from NASA), you could always funnel a little cash my way by picking up a book or two! I know the world is what it is, but a little escapism is good for the soul!