Snapping star clusters
Beneath the beautiful southern constellations, Ignacio Diaz Bobillo specialises in imaging distant nebulae and glittering star clusters
Has astrophotography always interested you?
I became interested in my early youth. I started with visual astronomy, using a small Newtonian telescope, but was soon intrigued by the possibilities of astrophotography. I started with wide-field imaging using a telephoto lens.
These were still the days of film photography, and I also had to venture into chemical developing. It was fun.
What do you enjoy most about photographing distant nebulae and clusters of stars?
I live in the Southern Hemisphere, so I enjoy the better views of our Milky Way. How could I not try to image those beautiful, extended dusty objects, sprinkled with tens of thousands of colourful stars?
There are so many different objects to photograph, and it’s enough to keep you busy for a long time.
With such a wealth of objects available in the Southern Hemisphere, what’s your favourite?
I don’t really have a favourite. All are interesting and challenging to image in their own right. Each new Moon I carefully plan ahead and choose those objects that are best positioned in the sky.
Can you give any advice for beginners?
Keep it simple with wide-field astrophotography or with a small, guided refractor. Then move slowly up to the next level of difficulty, but only when you master your current level. Pay as much attention to acquisition as data processing; they are both critical.