News / Education
Tom Davis, US Based Astrophotographer, Captures exsquisite views from Down under.
Using GRAS Hosting service at Riverland Dingo Observatory in South Australia
Global-Rent-a-scope (GRAS) is proud to present the work of Thomas V. Davis of Inkom,ID in the USA.
Tom talks about his personal experience.
"Like a lot of amateur astronomers, I started taking images of the night sky because what I saw through the eyepiece was not what I was seeing on the printed page. As a boy, I frequented our local library and checked out every astronomy book that I could find.
I would spend countless hours looking over the pictures taken by professional astronomers from places like Palomar Mountain and Mt. Wilson. When I finally got my first telescope (age 12) I was less than impressed by what I saw. The little (60mm) Sears refractor didn't show me any of the fantastic images that I saw in those books. None-the-less, I was able to see the rings of Saturn and "bam" I was hooked.
It wasn't until years later that I was able to return to the night sky. After finishing school, my family and I moved to southeast Idaho. The sky was darker than anywhere I had previously lived -- so I started back into astronomy. I first imaged with film; an OM-1 piggybacked on a Celestron-8 SCT. After some success I decided to go with CCD imaging. My first camera was an SBIG ST-237 with color wheel. It helped me learn the process of taking color CCD images and begin down the road of image processing."
We at GRAS Hosting believe Tom's work has advanced to easily surpass the work of most professional astronomers. Here are a few examples. You be the judge:
http://www.tvdavisastropics.com/astroimages-1_00004f.htm
http://www.tvdavisastropics.com/astroimages-1_000068.htm
Tom's personal remote observatory is hosted by the GRAS Hosting services located at the Riverland Dingo Observatory in South Australia. GRAS also offers observing services for individuals as well who might not be able to have their own observing resources.
Many members of GRAS and the RAS Observatory routinely perform the following research activities: Astrometry, Photometry, CCD Imaging, Remote Astronomy, Robotic Astronomy, Supernova, Variable stars, doubles star research, binary star research, eclipsing variables, comet research, asteroid hunting, Astrophotography, Galaxies, Nebula, Planet, Space, Minor planets, deep space, Gamma Ray Bursters, Astroimaging, astroimager, photography
They use the following equipment to perform their activities: CCD cameras, scientific filters, technical experience, research, telescope mounts, optical systems, Paramount, Takahashi, SBIG, FLI, Astrophysics, CCD camera,
