Appreciation post: How the 2009 Texas Star Party changed my whole approach to astrophotography

I went to the Texas Star Party back in 2009, my first time at a big event like that. I had been messing around with a cheap telescope and a point and shoot camera for years, getting blurry photos of the moon. Then one night I saw a guy named Dave with a tracking mount and a DSLR. He let me look at his screen and I saw Jupiter with three moons crystal clear. That moment made me realize equipment matters more than I thought. I ended up spending $800 on a used mount and camera after that trip. Anyone else have a single moment at an event that totally shifted how you take photos?

3 comments

3 Comments

felix_williams712mo ago

Did you read about the guy who brought a homemade hydrogen-alpha scope to that same star party?

johnson.paul1mo ago

Ryan369 nailed it with the mount advice, but homemade solar scopes are a whole other rabbit hole. That guy must have spent a year tinkering to get it right, probably more patience than I have for a project.

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ryan3692mo ago

Yeah, put that money into a solid mount first. Never knew how much tracking mattered until I got a good one.