For the past 35 years...

For the past 35 years, the night sky has been my constant fascination—a vast and luminous canvas that never ceases to amaze me.

It all started in an unusual way: a deep dive into the claim that Earth was young. I had been taught to believe it was less than 50,000 years old. But after just a week of reading both geological and astronomical research, that notion quickly unraveled.

Then came the realization—Wait... I could actually see these celestial wonders for myself!

Excited, I picked up a rather unimpressive 2 ½" telescope and aimed it at the Pleaides. With my unaided eye, I had only ever spotted only seven stars, but through the lens? Over a hundred gleaming jewels scattered across the cosmos! That moment changed everything.

Determined to explore deeper, I memorized star charts and studied the heavens. When the time was right, I invested in a 10” Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Despite its computerized GoTo capabilities, I was grateful for the two solid months I spent learning the sky firsthand—navigating it the old-fashioned way, letting my eyes and mind make sense of the constellations.

Life shifted, and as my children grew, I stepped away from my celestial pursuits for a time. But in 2018, with them older and my passion still intact, I returned.

It didn’t take long to rekindle the magic, especially after a trip to Sedona, Arizona—a place where the skies are breathtakingly dark. With my wife Valaree’s patience for my eccentric hobby, even on vacations, I found myself setting up tripods for long exposures. Soon, I upgraded to a Star Tracker for my Canon 6D, capturing the night like never before.

Today, my astrophotography thrives in my backyard, though I still venture out with my fellow astronomers from the Fox Valley Astronomical Society, chasing those perfect nights under the stars.

A Little More About Me

Being a Christian and and ancient universe believer puts me in the odd position of seeing the understandable tension between the religious community and the scientific community. I believe the damage inflicted by the religious community, particularly the Christian organized religion had much to answer for. I so many good friends who want nothing to do with Jesus because of those who claim to follow him but show by their 'fruitage' something completely different.

My hope is that by my actions and words, those who don't believe like I do can see who Jesus is supposed to be.

I am also a software developer by trade as well as volunteering dozens of hours per week serving in my church, including running all the tech and speaking 10-12 times per year in a non-paid, lay ministerial church.

A Note of Appreciation

I can't say thank you enough to some of my mentors and fellow sharers in the hobby today.

Without the influence of Herman Zwirn and Mark Christensen, I probably wouldn't have gotten into astrophotography.

Today's influencers, includes my newer friends from Michigan: Doug Bock, Awni Hafedh, Tony Licita, Stephen Brisbey. I share their work on Facebook for others to see.

I also appreciate my local influencers, Walter Torres and Greg Cisco.

Lastly, I can't say enough about my best friend and wife, Valaree. What a blessing it is to have someone you want to be with all the time share everything in life. Val has supported me through the crazy nights of sleeplessness, trips alone to MI and many nights away with FVAS for meetings and star parties.

- Andy Weeks aka, AstrophotoAndy