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Astrophotography: Bringing out-of-this-world photos closer to home


You don't need the Millennium Falcon to get to that galaxy "far, far away."
 
All it takes is a decent telescope, an eye for detail, and a really good camera.
 
The Mind Museum in Taguig City celebrated World Space Week by exhibiting various photos of celestial bodies and astronomical events, with matching real-life meteorites, and state-of-the-art telescopes from Oct. 13 to 21. (See related story of World Space Week.)
 
"Night in a Different Light" showcases the works of five of the most well-known Filipino astrophotographers: Christopher Go, John Nassr, Anthony Urbano, Christopher Lu, and Erika Valdueza.
 
All of the photos showcased during the exhibit were also for sale. Proceeds of the exhibit will be donated to some public schools, said representatives from the Mind Museum.
 
Meet the astrophotographers
 
Christopher Go first fell in love with astronomy during the last appearance of Halley's Comet in 1986. He was first an amateur astronomer before he became an astrophotographer in 1990.
 
In 2006, he discovered Jupiter's Red Spot Jr. —the planet's formerly white spot Oval Ba. This is his biggest discovery thus far.
 
Meanwhile, John Nassr is lucky enough to have his own observatory in Baguio City. One of his familiar works has also been featured in an earlier article on this site: a majestic shot of the Great Orion Nebula, a group of stars more than a thousand lightyears away.
 
Anthony Urbano is also an astronomer who loves to take photos of the night sky. He updates his blog, "Night Sky in Focus" almost weekly. (nightskyinfocus.com) He also promotes do-it-yourself astronomy projects (nightskyinfocus.com/diyprojects) to encourage more people to get into astronomy.
 
Another astro shutterbug featured in the exhibit is Christopher Lu who also serves as the secretary-general of the Astronomical League of the Philippines, one of the few organizations of astronomy enthusiasts in the country.  
 
The only female in the exhibit —and also the youngest at 26— Erika Valdueza, found her love in astronomy after locating the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in the night sky, and reading a number of Isaac Asimov's books. She also features some of her snapshots on her blog, Stella's Gaze (theskyabove22.wordpress.com) which she started in 2007.
 
An astrophotographer's guide to the galaxies
 
When she's not busy at her day job as a research geologist in a Makati-based mining company, Valdueza takes a break by peering into any one of her various telescopes, looking for a perfect shot.
 
She recalled learning the ropes at the UP Astronomical Society (UP AstroSoc) way back in 2003.
 
"(Noong una), gusto ko lang i-record 'yung experiences ko. I have a journal... a blog where I post photos of every (astronomical) event (I shoot)," said Valdueza in an interview.
 
"Nagsimula ako sa 70mm refractor telescope. Ginagamit ko iyon for moon observation and for looking at star clusters," said Valdueza. This type of telescope, according to Telescope.com is a perfect equipment for those who would like to start a hobby in astronomy.
 
As of now, Valdueza owns seven different types of telescopes for various uses —from observing the moon and the planets, to snapping entire star clusters and galaxies.
 
"Mahal talaga ang astrophotography as a hobby and the only way to improve is to upgrade. But if you can, pwede naman ang DIY (Do-it-yourself)," said Valdueza.
 
Shooting stars and other heavenly bodies
 
Valdueza, like the other astrophotographers featured in the exhibit, has been featured in a number of astronomy sites and international astrophotography publications such as Astronomy.com, Universe Today, and Universities Space Research Association.
 
But of all her work, two photos stand out in her mind as her most memorable shots.
 
The first one is a picture of the partial solar eclipse on Jan. 15, 2010, taken at the Manila Bay. 
 
She recalls panicking at that time because the event was about to end and she wasn't satisfied with any of the pictures she had taken.
 
"Accident 'yung shot. Nagulat ako. Isinali ko siya sa isang competition ng Royal Observatory of Greenwich Astronomy Photographer of the Year... I was shortlisted," said Valdueza.
 
Another photo she loves was the shot of the total lunar eclipse on June 16, 2011 which also shows the skyscrapers of Manila.
 
"Ang lakas ng impact ng photo," said Valdueza, recounting that she just used a digital camera to take the shot.
 
She also said that a successful astrophotographer does not have to have the most state-of-the-art equipment.
 
"Everybody can really shoot but the only thing that makes them stand out is if they do it with passion," said Valdueza. — TJD, GMA News 
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