Branyon May
Graduate Student in Astrophysics
On May 5, 2005, I had my first opportunity to independently operate the University of Alabama's observatory. My "first-light" was of the famous edge-on spiral galaxy, Messier 104, also known as the Sombrero Galaxy. (Ironically, that night was also the Mexican holiday Cinco de Mayo.) Since then, I have been in pursuit of acquiring the necessary knowledge and skills for an observational astronomer: how to prepare for a night's observations, conducting proper observational techniques, and acquiring relevant, pleasing heavenly images.
In addition to the general categories above, many of the objects I have imaged are in the famous Messier Catalog, an inventory of deep sky objects compiled by Charles Messier. This catalog contains galaxies, star clusters, nebulae, and a supernova remnant.