Welcome to Images From The Cosmos
The objects in the Solar System are, astronomically speaking, relatively close. Many may be observed by the naked-eye or through binoculars or telescopes. The challenge in photographing these objects is to capture as much detail as possible. The larger the telescope the more detail can be seen because of the telescope's increased power to resolve details. Click on each photo to enlarge and read a description of the object and details about the photo.
The Solar System began forming around a stable star, our Sun, about 4.6 billion years ago. Of all the planets, only Earth is hospitable to intelligent life. Mars may have had life millions of years ago, but there is no evidence of intelligent life ever existing there in spite of all the dramatic science fiction stories based on that assumption.
Since most Solar System objects are close, the images you see above resemble closely the images you can see through the telescope visually when the air is steady (what astronomers refer to as good "seeing"). I take many exposures of each subject and select only those that are sharpest (when shifting temperature layers in the atmoshphere momentarily subside) then align and stack them into a final image for processing. The goal of catching fine lunar or planetary detail is obtained by making exposures on a night with good seeing and using the fastest possible camera shutter speed consistant with proper exposure, so during that fraction of a second when the air is steady a sharp image can be recorded. Several sharp images aligned, stacked, and processed can yield a satisfying final photo full of detail.
Since most Solar System objects are close, the images you see above resemble closely the images you can see through the telescope visually when the air is steady (what astronomers refer to as good "seeing"). I take many exposures of each subject and select only those that are sharpest (when shifting temperature layers in the atmoshphere momentarily subside) then align and stack them into a final image for processing. The goal of catching fine lunar or planetary detail is obtained by making exposures on a night with good seeing and using the fastest possible camera shutter speed consistant with proper exposure, so during that fraction of a second when the air is steady a sharp image can be recorded. Several sharp images aligned, stacked, and processed can yield a satisfying final photo full of detail.