Deep Space

The vastness of space has always fascinated me. Hoovering up the latest astronomical discoveries and theories is a constant part of my life. Naturally, I want to capture it in my photography as well. In early December 2020, I added some equipment to my arsenal to help me with that goal. I was focused on capturing the convergence of Jupiter and Saturn later that month. A few days before the event I did some test shots to get a feeling for things and came away impressed. And then the clouds set in. For nearly a month straight the night skies were nothing but grey.

The convergence came and went and I saw none of it. But I kept waiting for a good night to shoot. One came and I got some rather bland star shots as I learned the new equipment. The results were impressive but not the sort of thing I wanted to share.

Two nights ago, there was an unexpected break in the clouds and I pounced. My target was the easiest deep space object I knew how to find, the Orion Nebula.

Orion Nebula

Not too shabby. Actually, I had a lot of technical difficulties on that and just barely came away with a usable image. But I did get it. So very happy. And I knew from the weather report that the next night would be clear as well.

This time I had a real plan. Where I was going to set up, how I was going to set up and how I was going to operate. The target this time was the Andromeda Galaxy. Tougher to find than the Orion Nebula because it was too dim for my eyes to pick out. But I knew exactly where it was in the sky, so I could work my way into the correct spot with a bit of trial and error.

Andromeda Galaxy

It’s rare that I fall in love with my own photos, preferring to be hypercritical and push for better. But this one exceeded my expectations by so much that I can only giggle maniacally as I look at it. Hopefully it brings you even a tiny bit of that same joy.