Astrophotography is a specialized type of photography that entails recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky.
The easiest way to start is to capture wide views of the night sky with an ordinary DSLR camera with interchangeable lenses. Such equipment affords a wide field of view, making easy work of imaging constellations, meteors, the Milky Way, and much more. Point-and-shoot cameras and even some of the newer cell phones can also capture the sky.
Next levels include tracking mounts for the camera, or camera views through tracking telescopes. From there it progresses through various levels all the way to purpose-made astro-imaging telescopes, mounts, cameras, systems and software that rival some observatories.
This year we are trying something a bit different. Astrophotographers at OSP range from people who are pointing a camera at the night sky for the first time, to people using tracking telescopes or mounts, to people with very sophisticated tracking and imaging systems with extreme capability. To accommodate this better without creating many more lists, we are providing a few starter items here, then leveraging the other four lists for the remainder.
To complete this list, you many choose from the five items shown and/or any of the items in the other four lists to suit your desired challenge level – and do more if you like! Individual beginner and binocular list objects count as a single item. Intermediate list objects count as two. Advanced list objects (must meet full criteria for an object) count as four.
To receive the award pin this year you must photograph at least 12 items, according to the rules above while you are at OSP.
When finished, bring your record of observations and images to the Observing Program table next to the Information Tent to receive your pin. Please check the information tent for updates on when the Observing Program table will be staffed, and where it is going to be for the next session. Typically it will be manned later in the afternoon.
Finally, with your permission, OSP would like to display the images on the website for everyone to see!
The astrophotography list can be downloaded here: