Robert Gendler’s interest in astronomy dates back to his childhood when he lived in New York and made regular visits to the Hayden Planetarium. He felt a lot of excitement looking at the splendid astrophotographs produced by the big observatories of those days. He says that astronomical imaging has great artistic and educational value. The fascinating colors of galaxies, natural forms and nebulas, and other objects deep in the sky are deeply aesthetic and have been an inspiration for many to learn more about the universe. As a form of art, recording these natural wonders of the night sky is deeply inspiring and rewarding. A physician living with his wife and 2 children in Connecticut, Gendler remembers very well the great feelings of excitement and discovery when he was looking at astronomical images as a child.
He felt a strong urge to learn how to produce such images. So when he moved to Connecticut in 1993, he decided to take an introductory course in astronomy at a local college. After finishing the course he bought a pair of binoculars and spent about one-and-a-half years learning the night sky. Next he purchased a telescope with which he spent his time observing many deep sky objects whenever the weather permitted. He longed to take images like the ones he looked at in astonishment earlier in his life so his next purchases were a CCD camera and a 10" Schmidt Cassegrain. His first images were not of good but he has continued to improve his techniques until today he’s able to produce high quality images.
