February 15 Program: Starscapes, Galaxies and Nebula

Have you wanted to photograph the night sky but don’t know where to start? Learn what it takes to capture luscious Milky Way landscapes (starscapes), constellations, glowing pink nebula, galaxies and more. This presentation will cover astrophotography using a range of gear – from a camera and tripod to star trackers to computerized telescopes with dedicated astro cameras. The night sky is an endlessly fascinating subject for photographers of all skill levels.

Milky Way over the Frio River

Our speaker, Rich Wilbourn, is a retired IT/Business Project Manager with a lifelong interest in both astronomy and photography. As a teenager, he started an astronomy club in his hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, built his own telescopes and even ground his own telescope mirrors. While pursuing a degree in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin, he worked as a summer intern at McDonald Observatory in west Texas.  Rich’s interest in photography go back to the days of film and include developing and printing black and white images. In recent years much of his photography includes wildlife and nature subjects – particularly the abundant birdlife found along the Texas coast. You can follow Rich on Instagram at @rwilbourn.

The Pleiades

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