Dog-Star Observatory -- Deep-Sky Drawing Archive

INDEX

Introduction

These drawings are part of the collection of deep-sky drawings that I have made since age 12. They are a true labor of love, and represent many long hours under the clear dark sky. Sleepiness, and more often than not freezing cold were just part of the experience.

Why drawings? Why not photography? Well, I could afford a computer-driven telescope for CCD astronomy, but it would not be the same. To me a drawing represents the appearance of the object in the minds eye. When looking at a deep-sky object I have the knowledge that an actual physical packet of energy (photon) has traveled all that distance to enter my eye. The drawing commemorates that event.

I will also confess that I especially love locating extremely faint deep-sky objects using detailed star maps and star-hopping with a Dobsonian/Newtonian telescope. Computer controlled guidance systems just do not give the same experience.

As Oscar Wilde said - "We may all be in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."

This page is maintained and made available for educational use by Dr. Gerry Santoro, gms@psu.edu