THE OFFICAL AFA ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY CLUB PAGE
It can be as simple as a camera mounted on a tripod, or as complicated as you want to make it with liquid-cooled CCD cameras, robotically controlled telescopes, and computer-enhanced images.
Although astrophotography is a very easy hobby in which to get started on a simple level, it can be difficult to master at its highest level. You must be prepared to spend the time learning the craft.
But, don't let this discourage you. Start out easy, shoot some star-trails with camera on tripod. Advance to piggyback photography and finally prime-focus astrophotography.
It's easy and it's hard. That's what makes it Zen-like!
When starting out you'll ask, "What kind of scope should I use?" "What camera?" "What ISO and exposure time?" And, the most famous of all: "How do I focus this thing!" Later you'll find yourself wondering: "How do I take a photograph of an object that I can't even see visually in a telescope, let alone on the focusing screen of a viewfinder in a camera?
These questions have been asked, and answered, hundreds, if not thousands of times. The best place to start, naturally, is at the beginning, and this web site will try to help you. But, do not just go out and buy a telescope and digital camera first thing if you don't already own them. Take some time to learn about these hobbies of astronomy and photography and carefully research what you want to get.
We at the PAO are equipped with a Canon 500D DSLR and Planetary Imaging Cameras for taking images of planets through a telescope
