First Encounters with Astronomy

By Mitchell Barry

My first encounter with astronomy was near the end of my freshman year (May of 2016) when Dr. Mark Spearman opened his observatory for the SJS Eagles for Life team. Although I knew nothing about astronomy, that experience was unforgettable, and it sparked a life-changing chain of events. Now that I'm a senior, Messier Marathoner, and active member of the BVAC, I've changed a lot since my freshman year.

Here are two of my photos of Jupiter. Figure 1 was taken August 3, 2017, while Figure 2 was taken 9½ months later in May. I used the same iPhone, the same mount/adapter, the same telescope, and the same eyepiece. I'm not claiming that I'm all that great at photography, but just look at how different they are!

Granted, this comparison isn't very fair. In Figure 2, Jupiter was at opposition, seeing was probably a little better, and so on. There's more behind these photos than can be seen: when I took the first photo in Figure 1, I wasn't a member of the BVAC.

The BVAC has been invaluable to me. As a member, I've learned about essential image processing software, including DeepSkyStacker, Registax, Autostakkert!, and PIPP. Learning how to use these was pretty straightforward, but I never would've used them if the BVAC hadn't informed me of their existence.

I also really enjoy our star parties and meetings! Simply put, the BVAC changed my life, and I don't think I could ever thank the group enough.

But one member has changed my life more than anyone, and that man is none other than Dr. Mark Spearman.

Mark is the one who sparked my interest in astronomy, the one who helped my Dad decide on my first telescope, the one who lent me binoculars and a red flashlight, the one who gave me my first wide-field eyepiece (by far the best eyepiece I own), the one who gave me a Lumicon 80mm finder scope, and the one who “spoiled me rotten” and asked for nothing in return. I couldn't possibly claim to be an amateur astronomer if it hadn't been for him.

Now that my dad and I have our own setup, we're enjoying stargazing more than ever! My favorite DSO would probably be the Orion Nebula (for obvious reasons). We really enjoy heading out to the star parties at the Regina Caelorum observatory. We also really like the meetings at the teaching observatory. I especially love looking at telescopes almost as much as I enjoy the stars. Dr. Spearman, BVAC, and these experiences have impacted my life so deeply that I have chosen to continue my studies in Astronomy and Physics when I enter college in the Fall of 2019.

Mitchell and his father, David, attend BVAC meetings and stargaze together.