My Reinvention

[Astronomer, Reinvented]

Veteran posters may wonder how I have changed. Well, it started last autumn. I know that only a foolish shallow person uses social media views and likes as their only measure of life's success but people were neither viewing nor liking my content. I had also realised that I had taken many photos with limited equipment but was taking the same photo hundreds of times. I had gone stale and the demands of returning to full-time work meant that my astronomy time was limited.

 

I abandoned some of the routine shots I was taking, such as DSLR-only lunar shots. Yes, I did them well and hopefully inspired a few others to have a go but they were not new. I stopped running long stacking runs from meteor hunts to produce constellation photos as by-products. I continued to monitor the Sun, doping sunspot drawing when not able to take photos. The Sun is a very changeable object near solar maximum, unlike the Moon.  Very long story but on October, I made a breakthrough my stacking full disc solar images.

 

Sun_October2nd_2022 | So, yes, usual set-up. I stuck a filte… | Flickr

 

I did the same for lunar images and got better quality full disc lunar shots than before.

 

My reinvention has not been a total success but then I never expected it to be! The whole point of it has been to try things out. I have not yet managed to get a decent lunar shot with a phone camera. I might never do but I have photographed lunar/planetary conjunctions with it and even one with Venus, Mars, Castor and Pollux. But, honestly, it WAS better with my DSLR, though!

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/philippughastronomer/52897693891/in/album-72157668626470961/

 

I have also created a lot more content on my website and tried to make my blog more entertaining, although no less suitable for children.

 

I'm also on the lookout for new targets or old ones taken with  a different perspective. Here is a close-up of Sagitta with the Coathanger:

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/philippughastronomer/53012097569/in/album-72157666438989044/

 

So, yes, I am doing a lot more different things, not just to get lots of views, likes and faves but also to make it more interesting and satisfying for myself as well.