Astrophotography Class

We are excited to announce that PARI, AstroBrevard, and the Asheville Astronomy Club will be hosting our next beginners’ astrophotography class on Saturday, March 28^rd, 2026.

This class will be held at the Reuter Center on the campus of University of North Carolina, Asheville.  Reuter Center, 300 Campus View Rd, Asheville, NC 28804.

Throughout the sky, hidden among the stars, are wonders just beyond what the human eye can discern. But with some basic equipment, and a little know-how, you can learn to find, reveal, and share fascinating objects from within our own solar system and others much, much further. Planets and moons that orbit our Sun will pop into view. Nebulae and super nova remnants will show intricate patterns and colors of swirling gas and dust. Even distant galaxies, more vast than our own Milky Way, can be captured.

If you’ve ever seen those gorgeous pictures of the night sky and thought “I want to do that”, here’s your chance to get your feet wet with the best possible hobby! But we warn you, it’s addictive 😃

The one-day class will be led by two experienced astrophotographers, David Krause and Tommy Wilkinson, both of the Asheville Astronomy Club. The class size is limited to allow hands-on, individual attention. The sample pictures you see here are actual astrophotography images taken by David Krause and Tommy Wilkinson, course instructors.

Topics will include:

• Introduction to Astrophotography Equipment
• Data Acquisition
• Image Capture Software
• Image Processing

This day-long class will follow this schedule:

• 9:00am to 12:00pm – Classroom instruction
• 12:00pm to 1:00pm – Lunch Break
• 1:00pm to 5:00pm – Classroom instruction

Here are some frequently asked questions about learning astrophotography:

• Do I need to know anything about photography to take the class.
• A basic knowledge of how to use a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera would be helpful, but not required.
• Do I need to know anything about astronomy to take the class?
• A basic knowledge of the objects that you'll be shooting (planets, nebulas, galaxies, etc.) would, again, be helpful, but not required.
• What equipment to I need to bring for the class?
• You don't need to bring your own equipment - instructors will be using their own equipment for demonstrations.