Telescope: Meade EXT-125 Camera: Google Pixel

Dark Sky Astrophotography [Smokey Mountain Getaway]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:August 30, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Night Sky Planets Smartphone Telescope Universe

August is a busy month for my family, and we took a weekend to visit the Smokey Mountains in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Wow what a great opportunity to do dark sky…

Telescope: Meade EXT-125 Camera: Google Pixel Photographer: Kevin Francis

Mars: The Red Planet on Display in Summer 2018 [Dust Storm]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 20, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Astrophysics Night Sky Planets Smartphone Telescope

During the last star party at The Virginia Living Museum, I laid eyes on Mars for the first time this year. It rose above the horizon to become the fitting…

Telescope: Meade EXT-125 Camera: Google Pixel

Saturn: Photographing the Cassini Division 2018 Update [Rings]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 18, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Night Sky Planets Smartphone Telescope

Light travels about 2 hours from the Sun to Saturn to your telescope. We can spend about that much time searching for the perfect picture of planet and rings. Because…

Telescope: Meade EXT-125 Camera: Google Pixel

Derotation in Astrophotography [Field Rotation]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 15, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Night Sky Planets Post Processing Smartphone Telescope

Derotation in Astrophotography is Amazing I learned something new this weekend. I learned about a technique in astrophotography called Derotation. I'm amazed at what a little imagination and scientific skill…

Mercury: My Astrophotography First Attempt [The Planet]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 11, 2018
Post category:Astronomy Night Sky Planets Smartphone Sun

This summer night was meant to be a warm evening capturing Jupiter, Venus & Saturn. Mercury just happened to appear near the horizon and I thought I should give it…

True color Moon, June 29, 2018.

Moon: Take Photos & Find Many Colors [Brown or Grey]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:July 1, 2018
Post category:Moon Night Sky Smartphone Telescope

You don't have to be an astrophotographer to have a photo of the Moon in your collection. The Moon appears, markedly, in all of the photos in with the same…

Beehive Cluster: I Don’t See Anything There [Magnitude]

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:June 2, 2018
Post category:Night Sky Smartphone Star Clusters Stars Telescope

Light Pollution In light polluted areas, seeing fuzzy star clusters is nearly impossible to the naked eye. Therefore, when I attended a Star Party at the Virginia Living Museum, I…

Super Moon 2017

I’ve Got a Telescope or Two

Post author:Kevin Francis
Post published:May 20, 2018
Post category:Moon Planets Telescope

"What kind of telescope should I buy?" If you're like me and you meet any number of novice astronomers, this is a question you hear a lot. My answer is…