Bortle 2 Zone Bummer

All I See Are Clouds

After watching the weather forecast for the past 2 weeks, I certainly didn't have my hopes up.  Nothing but rain and snow.  So I was simply treating this past weekend as a scouting mission for a future visit.

My wife and I took a quick trip down to Osławica in Southern Poland in the Eastern Carpathian mountains just to get away together for a couple of days.  This was the first time in 17 years that we've been alone together so it was almost a bit strange.  We did what any parents of four boys do when they escape the asylum of normal life for even a moment - we slept.  We slept a lot.

 View Outside Our Window in Osławica

We did manage to get out for a nice hike on Saturday, but the skies stayed stubbornly overcast during our entire time there.  It's a shame because even though it was overcast, it was dark dark dark at night.  Given how remote the region is, I'll definitely head back down when there's a better chance to take some photos.  It's only a 3 hour drive from Krakow so it'd be worth it. 

While I didn't get to take any photos of the sky, it was a really fun trip and we enjoyed our time immensely.  Can't wait to try and do it again!  

I Love It When a Plan Comes Together

Why Astrophotography? 

I've always been fascinated with outer space.  There's just something about looking up and standing in awe of the beauty and vastness of it all.  It's inspiring.  Even the Psalmist declares, "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."  So it's no wonder we experience that pull to learn more and see more of the heavens around us.  We're all curious explorers in this regard.

But exploring the heavens from our little perch here on Earth is not an inexpensive proposition.  However, advances in technology over the past decade have dramatically improved our access to this hobby and lowered entrance costs.  Nonetheless, it's still not cheap.  Therefore it's necessary to formulate a strategy whereby I can embark on this amazing journey without selling the house and starving my family.  I love it when a plan comes together.