In 2004, I got my start in building my own Dobsonian telescope using plans off the internet and parts purchased from eBay and various online astronomy stores. From there I built my first 8″ f/4 telescope. While it provided great views for my first run, it still left something to be desired… I caught the astronomy bug!
Over the years, I have upgraded and rebuilt the telescope, adapting it for a motorized tracking mount, solar photography, and a secondary spotter scope or camera attachment point.
I was able to utilize my 8″ f/4 telescope and my Canon 5D Mark II camera for the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse.
Astrophotography
Besides building my telescope, I am also facinated with astrophotography. Capturing the night sky in photo and video format has allowed me to share my enthusiasm with others. One lucky monent while photographing a series of tracked shots of comet 46P Wirtanen, a meteorite streaked through the image, leaving a slowly dissolving trail in the upper atmosphere. I shared it with SpaceWeather.com where it was published on their homepage and attracted thousands of views.
I’ve also captured the northern lights over Missouri on more than one occasion. I’ve come to save a series of those shots and morph them into a video timelaspe where the movement of the aurora changes.