My first astrophotos

As I’m attending a virtual astrophotography conference this weekend, and thrilled to be at my computer after 75 hours without electricity, I thought it would be fun to reflect on my first attempts at astrophotography while I bask in the warmth of a heated home.

It’s 2007. The iPhone has existed for six months now, but I do not own one.

I am standing in my driveway, with a Meade ETX90 telescope from the 1990s balanced on the back of my car (it was a tabletop model), trying to locate the moon.

And then I wanted to take a picture of it.

Photo of the moon taken with a Casio digital camera aimed through a Meade ETX90 telescope, November 8, 2007

My husband got out his Casio digital camera, and we made several goofy attempts to hold the camera up to the telescope eye piece just right to snap a picture of the Moon. It kind of worked. Most images came out blurred and unfocused, but there were a couple fortunately-timed clicks in the mix.

I made another attempt in 2008 with the same equipment, although I think it was more poorly focused this time!

Photo of the moon taken with a Casio digital camera aimed through a Meade ETX90 telescope, January 1, 2008

In 2013, I tried again with the ETX90. But this time I tried taking pictures with an Android smartphone, my HTC One. That went as well as you might imagine.

Photo of the moon taken with an HTC One aimed through a Meade ETX90 telescope, June  22, 2013

Another try with my HTC One a year later on July 11, 2014. Still hilariously bad.

All of this is to say, I think I’ve come a long way! More skills, better tools. I’m glad I didn’t ditch the hobby.