under the bright lights of the big city!” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:28px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff|line_height:1.4″ google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1578863553302{padding-top: 20px !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][vc_column_text el_class=”about-copy”]
Explore with me the challenges and thrills of capturing amazing objects in space under less than ideal skies. I apply my experience as an inventor, engineer, and professional photographer to develop methods to photograph the moon, planets, comets, and especially deep space objects in the night sky. Many suburbanites have their man or woman caves – I have a star cave. The goal of the Texas Star Cave™ is to learn how to capture astronomical objects with a modest investment in as little time as possible.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1548409563344{padding-top: 6% !important;padding-bottom: 6% !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/2″ offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-2 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-6″][vc_single_image image=”108″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/1STDCu9ack0″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ offset=”vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-6″ css=”.vc_custom_1578868560207{padding-right: 0px !important;}”][vc_custom_heading text=”Backyard Observatory” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:45px|text_align:left|color:%23001e31|line_height:1.1″ google_fonts=”font_family:Domine%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1578863310494{margin-left: -100px !important;}” el_class=”margin_mobile_zero”][vc_column_text el_class=”about-copy”]The star cave itself is an 8’x10′ roll-off-roof backyard observatory located under Bortle 8 skies in the northwest side of Houston, Texas. It is said that we can curse the darkness, or light a candle. But what to do when there are too many candles! We can curse the light pollution, or engineer a better system where we can capture stunning astrophotography under the bright lights of the big city!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”about-copy”]The tools used to capture and create the images vary in price and application. A “starter” system may be assembled from some tools you may already own – DSLR camera, sturdy tripod, laptop or desktop computer, and a few other odds and ends. The primary astrophotography setup in the star cave is the Celestron C11 with the Starizona Hyperstar version 3, various ZWO CMOS astro-cameras, on an Orion Atlas Pro mount running EQMod. We also explore planets, planetary nebulae, and galaxies with an EdgeHD 14 and Losmandy G11 Gemini 2. We go on location with the Star Watcher Star Adventurer and Nikon DSLR cameras and lenses. Additionally, we cover filters (narrowband, LRGB, LPro, LeNhance, etc.), software (AstroPhotography Tools, Deep Sky Stacker, Affinity Photo, SharpCap, PHD2, PixInSite, etc.), and DIY (Bahtinov mask, cable management, StellarMate, Arduino SCT focuser, Raspberry Pi AstroClock, etc.). We will also visit other astronomers and observatories to learn their methods and secrets.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes” content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1578868925210{padding-top: 6% !important;padding-bottom: 6% !important;}”][vc_column width=”1/2″ offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-2 vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-6″][vc_column_text el_class=”about-copy”]The idea of the star “cave” also reflects Plato’s allegory of the effect of education. The light and shadows captured by the telescope is a perfect representation of the science of astronomy.
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″ offset=”vc_col-lg-4 vc_col-md-6″ css=”.vc_custom_1578868906465{padding-right: 0px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”82″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1578868883519{padding-right: 6% !important;padding-left: 6% !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”About Robert” google_fonts=”font_family:Domine%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][vc_column_text el_class=”about-copy” css=”.vc_custom_1604364923322{padding-bottom: 20px !important;}”]Robert is an inventor (2 U.S. Patents), engineer (Compaq, HP), and professional photographer (CPP, Photographic Craftsman, Professional Photographers of America), volunteer (Insperity Observatory, NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador, Civil Air Patrol, ICR Discovery Center), guest speaker (Houston Astronomical Society, North Houston Astronomy Club, Grace Community Bible Church, Greater Houston Creation Association), Mensa member, and earned the Master Level Astronomical League Outreach Award. He coauthored the Astronomy League Foundations of Imaging program.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”40px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=”.vc_custom_1578863810350{padding-top: 6% !important;padding-bottom: 6% !important;background-image: url(https://texasstarcave.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/M27.jpg?id=19) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column offset=”vc_col-lg-offset-1 vc_col-lg-10″][vc_custom_heading text=”Intrigued?” font_container=”tag:h3|font_size:40px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff|line_height:1.1″ google_fonts=”font_family:Domine%3Aregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” el_class=”margin_mobile_zero”][vc_custom_heading text=”Support the Texas Star Cave™ with your constructive comments, likes, subscriptions, and donations. Thanks!” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:20px|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff|line_height:1.4″ google_fonts=”font_family:Open%20Sans%3A300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C600%2C600italic%2C700%2C700italic%2C800%2C800italic|font_style:300%20light%20regular%3A300%3Anormal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row]