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Contact information
website
http://www.starrywonders.com
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Biography
see:
http://www.starrywonders.com/aboutme.html
I am a physician at an academic medical center in Boston,
MA. My love of astronomy began in childhood, when I received a small,
department store Newtonian scope and was disappointed to see that none of
the objects looked like those in magazines. I promised myself that once
my training was done and I was settled down, I would once again return to
astronomy and capture the wonders of the night sky through photography.
So now it's about 40 years later, and I find that there's not much more
free time! But my passion for astronomy, cosmology, and photography have
found a perfect outlet in astrophotography, and it has become an addictive
hobby. I find myself imaging on almost every clear, moonless night (which
isn't that common in New England), often after a long day at work.
Although I live near Boston, I image in the darker skies of North
Smithfield, RI at my old homestead, which means that I must travel 50
miles to and from my imaging site every session. I don't have an
observatory, and I have to set up and take down every session. My
equipment has grown over the years and now includes an NJP mount, FSQ106
and VC200L telescopes, as well as STL11K, U32, and ST402 CCD cameras. The
images that I've captured still amaze me, and I take none of their beauty
for granted. Processing every image is an exercise in discovery, and I
love the excitement of seeing an image
appear before my eyes, and realizing that I captured it with my own
equipment and skills.
I have published several research and clinical articles in my professional
life, but I am just as satisfied when one of my astrophotography images is
felt to be worthy of publication. Astrophotography has become a part of
my life, and it has added a dimension of enjoyment that I could not do
without. Also, the internet has greatly enhanced my experience in this
hobby, since it has allowed me to share images and ideas with other
astrophotographers around the world. Some of my nicest astrophotography
interactions have been in cyberspace, since I don't have much time to
attend astronomy meetings due to my schedule.
I hope that you enjoy my webpage, and that you derive as much satisfaction
as I do from this wonderful hobby!
Astrophotography publications
see:
http://www.starrywonders.com/publications.html
.
Magazines and Online
Publications
Astronomy, Sky and Telescope, Sky Watch, Universe Today, Astronomy Picture
of the Day
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Professional Journals
New England Journal of Medicine, 336:1207, 1997, Hale-Bopp
Awards
SCT-User Imaging Competition, First Place, Prime Focus Film Category, 2003
SCT-User Imaging Competition, First Place, Deep Sky Digital Camera
Category, 2004
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day,
July 28, 2004
Observing site
North Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Limiting visual magnitude is about 5.5 and it is class 5-6 on the Bortle
Dark-Sky scale
Astronomical Equipment
see:
http://www.starrywonders.com/equipment.html
Telescopes
Takahashi FSQ-106N
Vixen VC200L
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Mount and autoguider
Takahashi NJP mount
SBIG ST-402 autoguider
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CCD cameras
SBIG STL-11K, SBIG ST8300M, Apogee U16M
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