The Vectis Astronomical Society holds its next public talk on Friday 26th June, starting at 7.30pm, with a presentation from Jeremy Phillips FRAS on the growing practice of remote astrophotography.
Jeremy, a retired television documentary-maker based in south London, has spent years capturing images of the night sky using narrowband filters from his light-polluted back garden.
Eighteen months ago, he took a significant step and set up a telescope at a remote facility in Texas, giving him access to clear, dark skies on most nights.
From frosty fingers to remote control
His talk, titled “Remote Imaging – going over to the Dark Side”, sets out to examine what that shift actually feels like in practice.
Jeremy poses the central question directly: does remote imaging strip away the essence of the hobby, or does it open up something genuinely new? He asks,
“Isn’t astrophotography all about being hands on with a telescope, under real skies where you can look up at the Cosmos in wonderment.
“Every frame hard fought, against the challenges of unpredictable weather and frosty fingers?”
He promises the answer may surprise his audience.
Art, science and astro-dog Cosmo
Jeremy describes astrophotography as an art form sitting at the intersection of science and technology, and says his images use only the light gathered through his lenses, with nothing added.
He has taken photographs from sites across the south of England, La Palma, Vancouver Island in Canada, and now Texas – accompanied, he notes, by astro-dog Cosmo.
A Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Jeremy also founded London’s Meridian Flippers astrophotography group.
Find out more about Jeremy by visiting his website.
How to attend
The event runs in a hybrid format. Attendees can join in person at Newchurch Pavilion, Watery Lane, Newchurch, Sandown (nearest postcode PO36 0LX), or watch online via Zoom.
Online tickets are available through Eventbrite, with a suggested donation of £3 for non-members.
The Vectis Astronomical Society meets on the fourth Friday of most months, excluding December. Talks run for around 45 minutes and include a question and answer session. More information is available on the website.
