We at Exact Communication are fortunate. We get to talk with scientists all the time. It’s our business. But scientists are out there waiting to tell you what they are doing…if you ask. Where can you find a scientist? Not long ago, I met one at my local dog park, and he had a story to tell.
Meet Stephen Garretson, an amateur astronomer and astrophotographer.
Steve and his dog Hazel. Me and my dog Ginger
Steve is passionate about the night sky and takes many photos of what is happening there.
I asked Steve about astrophotography.
Carol: Steve, how does one take pictures of the cosmos from Earth?
Steve: If you have a decent 35mm digital camera and lens, and a tripod, you can take pictures of the night sky, especially if you can get somewhere where it’s really dark. If you want to image galaxies or nebulae closer up, these objects are pretty dim so you’ll need lots of individual pictures that can be added together. And for that you need a telescope and a tracking mount that allows you to take longer exposures. I shoot from the observatory I built behind my garage and tend to use two or three telescopes simultaneously, each equipped with special filters and astronomy-specific cameras to get as much data as I can on a good night.
Here is an example of what you get when you mix technology, expertise, and a passion for astrophotography.
(The Cygnus Wall Image)
Amazing, right? But not knowing the cosmos, I had to ask Steve to explain what I saw in his beautiful photo.
Steve: That is the Cygnus Wall. It is part of a large emission nebula known as the North America Nebula, so named because its shape bears a strong resemblance to the continent. You can find it in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. This composite shows the Cygnus Wall, the North America nebula, in which the Cygnus Wall is, and the rig used to take the image.
Carol: Stunning. And that rig is in an observatory that you built in your backyard?
Steve: That’s right.
Carol: I’d love to be your neighbor and sneak a peek at the cosmos every once in a while.
Steve: There’s a lot to see. It’s an extremely active area of star formation. What’s fascinating to me is that the nebulae I image are in our cosmic neighborhood; i.e., they are near enough to be in the line of sight from the Orion Spur of the Western Spiral Arm of the Milky Way. So, if I lived in a different neighborhood of our galaxy, I’d imagine completely different objects. And, of course, there’s the mind-boggling size and distances involved. As the author of “Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, Douglas Adams said, “Space is big.”
Steve is not alone in his passion. He belongs to the Longmont Astronomical Society here in Colorado. And if you are craving to meet some scientists, this is one of the places to do so.
Steve: When I first got into this crazy hobby, I looked around for a group of kindred spirits, folks with whom to share and from whom to learn. That’s why I joined the Longmont Astronomical Society. Within the larger group, I discovered a small cadre of imagers, and an even smaller set of them have become my dear friends and colleagues.
The Longmont Astronomical Society has existed since 1984 and has about 100 members. As you might imagine, the members are enthusiastic about astronomy and invite others who share this interest to join in the fun, no matter one’s level of expertise. It’s a great place for scientists, retired scientists, and others interested in our solar system and beyond to meet, learn, explore, and share the wonders surrounding our blue planet. And their meetings are open to the public. Check out their website: https://www.longmontastro.org.
At Exact Communication, we help scientists communicate their science so they can be heard, make a difference, and have an impact. By sharing his science, Steve has helped all of us know a little bit more about our night sky.
Here is our challenge for the month of August:
Find a scientist in your Community—any scientist will do—and ask them about their science. You may stumble into Awe!
