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Contact information
website
http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/
Biography
see:
http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Biography.html
I'm a physician
living in Connecticut with my wife and two children. My interest in
astronomy dates back to my childhood in New York where I made frequent
visits to the famous Hayden Planetarium. I remember keenly the great
feelings of excitement and discovery when gazing at the magnificent
astrophotographs produced by the large observatories of those days.
Astronomy and especially astrophotography remained little more than a
dream until I moved from New York City to Connecticut in 1993. After
taking an introductory course in astronomy at a local college I
purchased a pair of binoculars and spent the next year and a half
learning the night sky. I then purchased my first telescope, a 10"
dobsonian with which I spent the next year observing many deep sky
objects whenever the weather permitted. I have many pleasant memories of
my early experiences using that telescope. I remember the great feeling
of accomplishment and pride upon finding distant galaxies in the
eyepiece. This was surely exciting but deep down I yearned to take
images like the ones I looked at in amazement earlier in my life. My
next purchase was a significant step forward. In 1996 I bought a 10"
Schmidt Cassegrain and a CCD camera. This equipment gave me my start in
astroimaging. My first images of distant galaxies and nebulae were of
only mediocre quality but encouraged me to go forward with color CCD
imaging. I continued to work on and improve my techniques. From that
point on I would say I was hooked on taking astroimages. My equipment
evolved to apochromatic refractors and to my present telescope, a 12.5"
Ritchey-Chretien cassegrain.
Early in my imaging
days I was inspired by the great professional astrophotographer David
Malin and by the early black and white images taken with the 200" at Mt
Palomar. I was also greatly impressed with the aesthetic images being
produced by amateurs with more modest equipment. Images taken by Bill
McLaughlin, Al Kelly, Adrian Catterall, Stan Moore and others
demonstrated to me that the CCD along with digital enhancement
techniques could be used to produce images rivaling film in aesthetic
quality but with superior resolution and contrast. The CCD is indeed a
versatile and powerful imaging instrument. My imaging style evolved in
part from studying both film and CCD images taken by many of the great
imagers practicing today. What I try to achieve is a balance of
smoothness and richness in color, coupled with the best resolution and
contrast I can acquire using my equipment. This requires careful
attention to detail and very long cumulative exposures (often several
hours for a given object). My routine is to devote an entire night (or
sometimes several nights) to imaging a single object. In this way I can
acquire the large amount of data needed to compose a high quality color
image. My favorite part of the process is watching the image come to
life on the computer screen as I assemble the multitude of individual
frames taken during the previous nights session.
Although limited in
scientific value I believe that aesthetic imaging has great educational
and artistic value. The fascinating natural forms and colors of
galaxies, nebulas, and other deepsky objects are deeply aesthetic and
have inspired many to learn more about our wonderful universe. As an art
form, recording the natural wonders of the night sky is deeply rewarding
and inspiring.
I do all of my
imaging from my driveway adjacent to my home. I am lucky to be living on
a dark cul de sac although there is significant light pollution where I
live. On the best nights the transparency is only moderately good
although the seeing is usually good to excellent. I also feel lucky to
have neighbors who are kind enough to cooperate by turning their lights
down when I'm imaging.
Although this is a
wonderful hobby, it is physically and mentally demanding. Equipment is
expensive and experience comes only at the expense of sleep and comfort.
It requires a substantial commitment but pays back in huge rewards. I
can tell you it has enriched my life. I enthusiastically recommend it to
anyone with an interest in the areas of astronomy, imaging, or computer
science as astroimaging is a marriage of these disciplines. Just a word
of caution; after your first successful image be prepared to be hooked
for life!
Astrophotography publications
see:
http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/publications.html
Observing sites
Home
in
Connecticut
.
Remote Site
Nighthawk Observatory at New Mexico Skies
near Cloudcroft, New Mexico
Lat. 32° 54' 14" North
Long. 105° 31' 44" West
elevation: 7300 feet (2225 meters)
http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Nighthawk.html
http://www.nmskies.com/index.html
.
Satellite Map Locator
http://www.frappr.com/apppublic
Level of accuracy: near Cloudcroft, NM, USA
Astronomical
Equipment
see:
http://www.robgendlerastropics.com/Equipment.html
Telescopes/lens
Home: 12.5-inch f/9 Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrain made by
Optical Guidance Systems
Takahashi FSQ 106 f/5 (F.L.= 530 mm) flourite Apochromat refractor
Nikon 300 mm f/2.8 lens
New Mexico: RC Optical Systems 20" f/8
Ritchey-Chrétien telescope
Mounts
Home: Astro-Physics 1200 GOTO
New Mexico: Paramount ME
CCD camera
SBIG STL-11000M
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