Friday, April 23
6:30 pm novice talk
7:30 pm general meeting
Our general meeting speaker will be Robert Reeves with his presentation,
Not Your Daddy’s Astrophotography
In this new presentation, Robert Reeves contrasts today’s astrophotography techniques with those of just 20 years ago. Robert demonstrates how modern celestial photography allows the back yard amateur to not only exceed the quality of past professional lunar and planetary photography, but to perform back yard deep sky photography that was once possible only from dark sky sites. Additionally, Robert will show how a simple camera and tripod, coupled with free software, can create stunning wide-field panoramas that span half the sky.
Robert Reeves Biography
Robert Reeves has been exploring the Moon since 1958 and took his first lunar photograph in 1959. He began telescopic astronomy with a four-inch Criterion Dynascope, his Christmas present in 1960. In 1975 he acquired a Celestron 8 telescope, which he still uses today. In 1977, Robert acquired a Celestron 8-inch Schmidt camera that he used for a quarter century for deep sky photography. Today, Reeves uses a Celestron 11 Edge HD, a Sky-Watcher 180mm Maksutov, and a Celestron 14 Edge HD telescope for lunar and deep sky photography from his Perspective Observatory located in central Texas.
In 1984 Reeves began publishing articles about astrophotography in Astronomy magazine. Since then Robert has published over 250 magazine articles and 200 newspaper columns about astronomy. His articles have appeared in Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, Deep Sky, Deep Sky Journal, Amateur Astronomy, and The Astrograph. In 1994 Reeves published his first book, The Superpower Space Race, followed by The Conquest of Space, co-authored with Fritz Bronner. In 2000, Robert published Wide-Field Astrophotography, followed by Introduction to Digital Astrophotography in 2005 and Introduction to Webcam Astrophotography in 2006.
Although Robert Reeves is an accomplished deep sky astrophotographer, his current passion is re-popularizing the Moon within the amateur astronomy community. Robert has perfected image processing techniques that allow the amateur astronomer, using modest equipment, to exceed the quality of Earth-based professional lunar photographs taken during the Apollo era.
Robert Reeves enjoys speaking to astronomy conventions and spreading his passion for the Moon and capturing the beauty of the night sky. Reeves has spoken at the Winter Star Party, Apollo Rendezvous, the Advanced Imaging Conference and SpaceFest. He has spoken twice to the Okie-Tex Star Party, the Mid-West Astro Imaging Conference, and the Southwest Astrophoto seminar. Robert has also spoken three times to AstroImage and spoken four times to ALCON, NEAF, and NEAIC, in addition to many presentations to the Texas Star Party. Robert has also been the Master of Ceremonies at two ALCONs and three times at the Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo and is the evening speaker coordinator for the Texas Star Party. Other travels include a five-city speaking tour in China where Reeves was the first westerner to address the Chinese astronomy community about the Moon.
Asteroid 26591 Robertreeves is named in his honor and asteroid 26592 Maryrenfro bears his wife’s name. Robert and Mary Reeves are the only husband and wife team to have sequentially numbered asteroids.
Kurt Baty is a Life Member of the IEEE. He has 44 years’ experience in the electronics industry and has been, since 1988, an independent design consultant. His client list includes many large companies and he holds many basic patents in computer technology. Kurt is also an avid science fiction fan and numismatist.