Chasing Exoplanets

Andrew Abban joins from the Boston area to talk about his new monochrome refractor setup, the off-axis guider issues he ran into on first light, and the exoplanet transit research he's been inspired to do through a program at a local college. We get into what citizen science actually looks like from a backyard, why monochrome imaging demands calibration frames, and the difference between imaging for art vs. imaging for science. Plus we're all hyped for the Black Forest star party at Cherry Springs in September, Nick has never once used a calibration frame, and Brett gets philosophical about resource extraction.Cosmic Yet Brave: Nick has never used a calibration frame in his life. Brett questions whether a system based on extracting resources for profit can end well. Andrew is brave for juggling astrophotography, web design clients, school, and work all at once.Find Andrew at @apa_astro on Instagram.