ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Jay R. Ballauer.  I have a Bachelor's Degree in Music from the University of Texas in Arlington, Texas, and a Master's Degree in Divinity with Biblical Languages from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas.  For most of my adult life, I've worked within both public education and church ministry.  In fact, I once worked three different jobs and went to two graduate schools...all at the same time!

Currently, I work in IT, having managed projects for many years as a private consultant and leading IT teams as a manager with educational instritutions. But one of my passions is astronomy, which has led me to put a lot of my efforts into astronomy outreach and education.  Currently, I'm thankful to work with the Three Rivers Foundations for the Arts and Sciences (3RF) to help accomplish those goals.  And it's because of 3RF, and it's founder Dr. Fred Koch, that I have had the opportunity to really grow in knowledge and abililty.  And due to my assoication with 3RF, I've long since stopped purchasing my own equipment.

I've been involved seriously in amateur astronomy since early 1997 when I caught my first naked-eye views of Comet Hale-Bopp.  Over the next few years, II learned how to view the sky through my first scope, a 10" Meade LX-50, using the old fashioned star-hop method with the standard Meade finderscope.   

Beginning in 2000, I started experimenting with astrophotography.  Since then, it's been my favorite part of the hobby because it combines many of my favorite interests...computers, photography, and astronomy.   With the power of modern CCD astro cameras, astrophotography has become a real passion in my life.   Because of my association with 3RF, I have access to some of the most powerful and remarkable tools around.  

 Many of the images taken here were with the wonderful tandem of the Takahashi NJP equatorial mount and my Takahashi FSQ-106 apochromatic refractor/astrograph.  When used with either the SBIG STL-11000 or SBIG STL-6303e, it's a very wonderful wide-field combination.   Currently, I utilize an Astrophysics AP900 mount instead, but the refractor remains one of my real prized possessions.

My medium-field scope is a Takahashi TOA-150 apocromatic refractor.  This instrument is exquisite, and versatile, with field-flattening options for both the native f/7.3 focal ratio and with the f/5.9 super reducer.   Hopefully, this scope will soon get lots of activity, though it's also doubles as a wonderful star party scope for terrific planetary and lunar views.

The third platform I use is  a 12.5" RCOS Ritchey-Chretien Cassegrain on a Software Bisque Paramount ME.  What a spectacular combination this is!  I've had mostly used these instruments on a Particle Wave Monolith portable pier. However, I have recently completed a 10 ft. ProDome observatory at the Comanche Springs Astronomy Campus (CSAC) where it now permanently resiides.  I took delivery of this scope and mount in February, 2005, so I've been fortunate to enjoy its use privately.  I will continue to use this setup for future imaging, especially when it because controlled remotely via Internet.   However, it will begin to see use scientifically at CSAC, and I look forward to training others on how to use this observatory setup.

I still have my old 10" Meade LX200, which is quite neglected.  

In between exposures, I love taking views of the cosmos through my friends instruments, which usual include and one of several large dobs.   Though I've been accused of not knowing what an "eyepiece" is, nobody has dared challenge me to a starhop contest either.  

Though I shoot all digital now,  I still have my Nikon F2 film setup. It's one of the greatest film cameras that has ever been produced, and it's a camera that I'd wanted ever since I looked at them in Popular Photography magazine as a kid.  It's still an effective setup for piggyback photography, an area of the hobby on which I spent a lot of time before moving on to "prime focus" imaging.

Complete descriptions of all these tools can be found on my Equipment page.

But my favorite part of the hobby is driving out to dark skies in my 1972 Airstream 25' Tradewind and sharing the night with my many astronomy-loving friends.  I also have many good observing friends at both 3RF and in the local Dallas/Fort Worth astronomy societies.   Lastly, I'm fortunate enough to have many great friends around the country.  Many are long-time Internet forum friends and yet others I've met at star parties.  

I currently reside in my new home in Grapevine, Texas, with my wife, Helen, and children Will (8), Peyton (5), and newborn baby, Sara.

CONTACT INFORMATION

For questions about the images you see on these pages or advice concerning the hobby of amateur astronomy and imaging, feel free to email me anytime at jballauer@gmail.com or jay@allaboutastro.com   Likewise, I am a member of many Internet astronomy communities, so you might see me online as either "jay52" or "jballauer."