Magical night sky through the lens of Martin Gembec

As part of our lecture series on "Optics and Its Use in Creativity and Art," we held a lecture on astrophotography on November 28, 2024. After previous sessions focused on scientific photography and macro photography of insects, this time we turned our lenses toward the starry sky.

The lecture was led by Mgr. Martin Gembec, an astronomer, astrophotographer, and astronomy popularizer. He is the manager of the iQPLANETARIUM at iQLANDIA in Liberec and the vice chairman of the Astronomers' Club of the Liberec Region, a branch of the Czech Astronomical Society. He is also known for his achievements in the field of astrophotography.  In September 2023, his image of Comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) was awarded the "Czech Astrophotography of the Month" prize.

During the more than hour-long lecture, Mgr. Gembec guided us through the world of astrophotography, from basic techniques suitable for beginners to advanced methods using professional equipment. He emphasized that even with simple and affordable equipment, any amateur astronomer can start capturing impressive images of the night sky. Over time, equipment can be upgraded and refined, leading to the possibility of remotely controlling sophisticated telescopes and cameras from the comfort of one’s home.

We sincerely thank Mr. Gembec for his inspiring and engaging lecture! For those who could not attend in person, we have prepared a recording of the entire lecture with Czech and German subtitles, available on our InterBridge YouTube channel. We warmly invite all enthusiasts of astrophotography and space to watch it at the following link:

Hana Křížová