More Sky Glitter

The stars above the cliff near Black Rock in Ka'anapali
(Maui 2007)

Stars Above the Sheraton

Looking almost straight up, high above the Sheraton Maui Resort
(Maui 2008)

Big Dipper in Door County

The Big Dipper resting in the night sky above a small pier at the Westwood Shores Resort in Sturgeon Bay.
(Door County 2008)

Subject: Stars

Another takeaway from vacations in Maui, being able to see some of the most beautiful displays of the stars in the heavens that you'll ever see.

I grew up in the north suburbs of Chicago, and while I have always been fascinated with space, I never really witnessed such an amazing spectical as being far, far away from city lights and being able to see an entire sky light up with nothing but stars.

I had fallen so much in love with seeing the stars over Maui during our first trip in '06, I wanted to take them with me. Not knowing much of what I was doing at the time, I played along with a little trial and error until I started to find things that just worked. After I got the hang of it, I left with some very good experience and some neat photos to show folks back home.

So now, about two months before each trip to Maui, I try my best to brush up on my astronomy skills and my astrophotography techniques. It's very difficult here at home in Chicago, trying to get even close to what I can on Maui. Even when the skies here are completely clear, and just with your own eyes you can see a few dozen stars, I don't have a good place to setup my stuff. Still looking though.

 

Taking it to the Next Level

After I realized what I could do with just trial and error, I was itching to learn more and see what I could do for real. I picked up a few books and even subscribed to Sky & Telescope to try and learn more. I can admit to being almost obsessed for awhile, to the point I started looking at telescopes in the camera stores nearby. It just came back to not really having a good place to get cozy and spend a few hours in the middle of the night just gazing and shooting.

At some point, I do want to get a telescope to use with my cameras, and try to capture pictures of the galaxies and deep space. Some of the examples I have seen online and in magazines are just so amazing, and to know that all I need is a little bit of money, time, patience and luck, I could be producing the same shots. I'm a little short on three of those four, though, so for now it's just a few nights a month out on our balcony with my binoculars seeing just a small part of what I could be seeing.

 

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