[vc_row full_height=”yes” bg_attachment=”fixed” bg_parallax=”true” css=”.vc_custom_1578868078085{padding-top: 15% !important;padding-bottom: 15% !important;background-image: url(https:\/\/texasstarcave.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/M13.jpg?id=18) !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”TEXAS STAR CAVE\u2122” font_container=”tag:h2|font_size:120|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff|line_height:1.1″ google_fonts=”font_family:Roboto%20Slab%3A100%2C300%2Cregular%2C700|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_custom_heading text=”Learn urban astrophotography
\nunder 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”]<\/p>\n
Explore with me the challenges and thrills of capturing amazing objects in space under less than ideal skies<\/a>. 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 \u2013 I have a star cave. The goal of the Texas Star Cave\u2122\u00a0is to learn how to capture astronomical objects with a modest investment in as little time as possible.<\/p>\n [\/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”]<\/p>\n The star cave itself is an 8\u2019x10\u2032 roll-off-roof backyard observatory located under Bortle 8<\/a> skies in the northwest side of Houston, Texas.\u00a0 It is said that we can curse the darkness, or light a candle.\u00a0 But what to do when there are too many candles!\u00a0 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!<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”about-copy”]<\/p>\n The tools used to capture and create the images vary in price and application.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 The primary astrophotography setup in the star cave is the Celestron C11 with the Starizona Hyperstar<\/a> version 3, various ZWO CMOS astro-cameras<\/a>, 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<\/a>, cable management, StellarMate<\/a>, Arduino SCT focuser<\/a>, Raspberry Pi AstroClock<\/a>, etc.).\u00a0 We will also visit other astronomers and observatories to learn their methods and secrets.<\/p>\n [\/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”]<\/p>\n