Paul Cooper

Friday 10th March 2023

This week’s guest speaker Nick Tonkin from kernowastronomers.com gave Penryn Camera Club a detailed talk on AstroPhotography. This is a type of photography that involves capturing images of celestial objects such as stars, planets, galaxies, and other astronomical phenomena. It often involves the use of specialised equipment such as telescopes, cameras with high sensitivity and wide-angle lenses, and tripods to keep the camera steady during long exposure times. The images captured in AstroPhotography can range from close-up shots of planets and their moons or distant galaxies to wide-field views of the night sky, revealing the beauty and mystery of the universe. This genre requires patience, technical skills, and a deep appreciation for the wonders of the cosmos.

Astronomy is the world’s oldest science. Since the invention of the first stable photographic image in 1839, it only took a year for the first astronomical image, by Henry Draper, of the Moon to be taken. Much progress has been made in the intervening 183 years since, but it was not until the last decade, that, with a lot of application and patience, an amateur can start to rival the image quality of the Hubble, from their own backyard.

Next week we are looking forward to Kevin Leah judging our penultimate prints, digital and out-of-camera competition for this year.

You are welcome to join us (Thursdays, 19:30, The Penryn Athletic Football Club). You can contact us via our website www.penryncameraclub.co.uk

M31 Galaxy (C) Nick Tonkin

Nick's Talk

Both images taken by Derek

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