To a great beginning!

   I was invited to participate in this blog by my good friend and fellow amateur astronomer and astrophotographer Bob Merhebi. I'm not quite sure at this incipient stage how this blog will turn out or what it will become, but I know that its subject is one that is dear to my heart, namely astrophotography. Serious amateur astronomers, let alone astrophotographers are not a very large bunch, especially in my part of the world. Yet, there are many people I know with at least some interest in astronomy or astrophotography, including established amateur astronomers who would like to learn to photograph the skies, and established photographers with a similar interest to produce photographs of astronomical subjects. 

   I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many of the potential astrophotographers out there are perhaps discouraged or sceptical that they might be able to take pictures of the sky with relative ease and without heavy-duty telescopes or other expensive equipment. This is far from true, as with some dedication and perseverance, all you need to take your first pictures of the sky is a camera and perhaps a sturdy tripod. There are techniques, of course, used to photograph the sky that are demanding both in terms of skill and your bank account, but this should by no means stop you from making the most of some simple means and equipment, especially if you're new to astrophotography.

   As the description next to this blog's title states, this will hopefully be a site for "current astroimagers and newcomers". Indeed, at any stage of experience with astrophotography, there's always something new to learn, and indeed one of the best ways to learn astrophotography is from other astrophotographers who have tried many times and perhaps failed even more times on the road to producing their pictures. Thus, I hope that those who participate in this site will be able to share their experiences with other astroimagers and help those astroimagers as well as newcomers learn more about this hobby.  

So here's to the start of a great (hoepfully) new site!

Thanks for reading :)

and clear skies!