Sky lights

Jose J. Santos

Three years ago, Greg Pyros began by looking up.

The Corona del Mar resident was creating computer graphics for

Meade, a telescope manufacturer. The work revived an interest in

astronomy that had been dormant since grade school.

Pyros immediately bought a 10-inch telescope and a camera. He

began a pastime in astrophotography that has continued to the

present.

Now, Pyros enjoys traveling around Southern California taking

pictures of the glittering night sky. One of his favorite places to

shoot is in his backyard.

“It’s an incredibly rewarding hobby,” Pyros said.

Anyone can get a little closer to the stars without having to

break their budget, he said.

“You can spend as much or as little as you want and enjoy the

sky,” Pyros said.

Whether using binoculars or the latest in high-tech telescopes,

here’s a simple primer in modern star-gazing:

CLUSTER OF FRIENDS

“Astronomy is basically something you do by yourself,” Pyros said.

“It’s not a team sport.”

But he said it’s great to find people with common interests, and

he said he enjoys the camaraderie with his fellow sky watchers in the

Orange County Astronomers -- one of the nation’s largest astronomy

clubs.

The group sponsors several activities, including extensive

introductory courses; monthly meetings with guest speakers; outings

to star gaze; and even outreach programs for schools.

The organization is so large, it has subsets of members who are

interested in specific aspects of astronomy. Pyros belongs to the

AstroImagers, a subgroup that is mainly interested in

astrophotography.

Pyros said the club is a great first step for beginners. For more

information, go to https://www.ocastronomers.org or call (714)

751-6867.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

According to Pyros, most people are looking for two types of

things in the night sky: either huge objects (like planets or the

Milky Way) or “tiny fuzzies” (stars that are better viewed with a

high-powered telescope.

The equipment used to view the stars varies depending on the

seriousness of the stargazer.

Casual hobbyists could use binoculars to see the bigger objects.

Pyros recommends getting a binocular mount or tripod to make the

binoculars easier to handle, position and rotate.

“Stars are moving all the time. You need to be able to follow,”

Pyros said.

For the more interested viewer, telescopes are the way to go.

The challenge of locating particular stars has been reduced due to

the continuing development of the computer chip. Most telescopes now

come with small navigators that allow users to type in the names of

specific stars or celestial bodies. The telescope will then

automatically find what it is the star gazer is looking for. These

“go-to” telescopes are available in all price ranges.

“Now we’re looking at objects instead of looking for them,” Pyros

said.

YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Some of the best photos Pyros has taken of the night sky have been

shot in his backyard.

Normally, Newport-Mesa is a great place to star gaze. “The

atmosphere is smoother over the water,” Pyros said. If you’re looking

at the sky locally, heat waves and pollution tend not to be the

problem it is in other areas.

But the night skies haven’t been to friendly to Pyros lately.

“This year has been cloudy,” Pyros said. “The marine layer kills

you.”

Despite the bad weather, Pyros has been able to enjoy some

spectacles in the sky.

“Mars is still very visible,” Pyros said. He invited some friends

to his house recently to see the red planet come the closest it has

been to Earth in 59,619 years. They were able to see the planet’s

mountain ranges and ice caps.

Just three years into his renewed passion for astronomy and Pyros

sees an event thousand of years in the making.

Must have been in the stars.

SOME WEB RESOURCES

https://www.skyandtelescope.com -- The latest in technology and

astronomy news, it has information for both amateurs and

professionals.

https://www.ocastronomers.org -- The Orange County Astronomers web

site contains everything you need to know about the club including

meeting times, membership information and club contacts.

https://www.astronomy.com -- The official web site of Astronomy

magazine contains feature articles, photo galleries and a kids

section.

https://www.meade.com -- The manufacturer’s web site is a good

place to introduce yourself to the world of the telescopes.

FUN FACT

“Charles Messier was a comet hunter in the late 1700’s. To keep

from mistaking other objects in the sky for comets, he created a

catalog of all the deep-sky objects he found. His catalog of 110 ‘M

Objects’ has become the classic list of all the brightest objects

visible in a small telescope. From globular clusters and open

clusters to galaxies and nebulae, these objects are still considered

the jewels of the night sky.”

-- from https://www.gregpyros.com