On a clear evening, if you can peel your eyes away from the vibrant pinks, reds and oranges of a fading sunset, and turn to the east, you might take a few minutes to treat yourself to the Belt of Venus--a band of soft, glowing color that hovers over the deep blue of approaching night. It is the place where the last rays of the sun filter through the sky and disappear into space. To me, it's like a theater curtain slowly rising to reveal the wonders of the night sky.
That's what this site is about. Conveying my observations of those nighttime wonders.
Although I enjoy capturing the view with photography from time to time, I find that I get the most enjoyment and appreciation for astronomical objects by sketching them. With the blossoming of astrophotography in the amateur community, astronomical sketching may seem to have become an antiquated endeavor. However, this method of recording observations still runs strong in many parts of the amateur community. I have found that for myself and for many others, sketching these objects provides a fantastic means of honing observation skills and providing a record of what was truly visible to your own eyes while you soaked up the view.
The majority of my entries here will be accompanied by a sketch of the object I observed, a description of the observation, and data I was able to acquire from reliable online sources, and printed publications.
You can follow the links on the right side of the main page to get a list of different object types and observing topics.
The Tools and Techniques link will take you to a list that contains a few tutorials on the sketching, digitizing and photography processes I use.
Comments are definitely appreciated. Please let me know if you find anything questionable in my data!
I hope you enjoy.
Jeremy
Jeremy, loved your web page! I'll come back when I have more time to soak it all in.
Erika
Hi Jeremy,
Like me, you're also a drawer at heart! I'll put your link on my site very soon! Very nice sketches!
Fred Hissink, the Netherlands
Nice site. Looks like a lot of time is put into it! I will visit this site frequently.
Roger
Excellent site.
Your sketches inspire me to start drawing at the eyepiece... oh, and your double star drawings are captivating!
Thanks for sharing you work.
- Mike
Erika, Fred, Roger and Mike,
Thanks very much for your comments. The whole process--planning, observing, sketching, and researching what I've seen is very absorbing...sometimes a bit too absorbing. I'm glad you enjoy the site.
And Mike, if anything I've shared motivates you or anyone else to take up sketching or observing in general, that's one of the biggest compliments I could have. Thank you. If you haven't already, take a look at the links page for some excellent resources for sketching at the eyepiece. The Cloudy Nights sketching forum in particular has got a wide variety of discussions and excellent examples on the topic. If your first dip into sketching generates any frustration, try to keep in mind that it gets better. That's been my experience, and I've heard the same sentiment from a number of other astro-sketchers. Just keep at it. Sketch in a way that suits your observing style and find subjects you enjoy. I wish you much success and fun.
I just recently purchased an Orion SVP LT 6" and was wondering if there is a users group or forum on the internet that has tips and information about using these scopes. Let me know.
Mark Lincke
Hi Mark,
I hope you've enjoyed the scope so far. Their is a web forum at Cloudy Nigts that is an incredible overall community for amateur astronomers. You may want to click on the "forums" link, and then click the "search" link. Do a search for "6LT" or "Skyview Pro" for the last couple years and browse through some of the discussions that come up.
It's possible that there are some discussion groups that focus specifically on the 6LT, but I haven't run across them yet.
Here is a link to a site called Andy's Shot Glass. He has several articles available that are useful for the Skyview Pro Mount, and the 8" Orion newtonian which is really very similar to the 6". I learned a lot there. His site has a lot of animation, and the articles are video, so it loads somewhat slowly, but in my opinion it's worth the wait.
If I run across anything else, I'll send a link your way.
I hope you're enjoying some clear skies,
Jeremy Perez
I'm positive you don't care..I googled my name and your it, and you live within an hour of me..weird I guess?
Hah. Well, that makes three of us here in Northern Arizona. Another Jeremy Perez works for the same company I do. Makes for fun times swapping mismatched emails.
Hello,
Congratulations for your excellent Web.
I like know your experience with your reflector telescope 6" F/8 for planetary and depp sky observations.And if you have compared with others telescopes.
Thank you very much.
Best,
Paul
dear,jeremy
hello, my name is han
first...
I can't speak english well.sorry
because i am korean, south korea lived
I find this website on the internet and see your excellent work.
so...
May i use some your website sketch image?
thank you~
Dear Han,
Thanks for contacting me. (Your English is very understandable :) Can you please tell me how you want to use the sketches?
You can email me at the address at the top of the page.
Best regards,
Jeremy
Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.
Your site is fantastic. I started amateur astronomy in December of 2007. I use your site and especially your sketches to help me find and identify objects. The information is invaluable. Thanks.
Hi Donald, thank you. I'm glad the site has been helpful to you!
Hello, Jeremy. I'm Diego, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Excuse me for my english writing.I speak spanish, je. I love astronomy since I was young, and see your website. Congratulations for your excellent works, very well. I put your website in my favourites bar. I wanna tell you that I've got a telescope like yours. Skywatcher 150/1200 (F8). Eyespieces 40,20 and 10 mm, anda barlow lens.
One question: I wanna buy a 32 mm eyespiece. Sirius Plossl is allright?
Goodbye, my friend.
Hi Diego, your 150/1200 Skywatcher sounds like a great scope. My 32 mm Sirius Plössl has given me great views, and it gets a lot of use. Eventually, I would like to invest in a premium, low power eyepiece, but that's not even close to a priority right now. Until then, this 32 mm is great. I would recommend it as a very good, affordable choice for a low power eyepiece.
Clear skies,
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy:
Excuse my bad English.
I bought your book "Astronomical Sketching: A Step-by-Step Introduction" and am amazed with the quality of yours drawings.
At this moment I am making a website for amateur astromers in Latin America, and as part of'm making a catalog of objects by constellation, and I like to add your drawings as a visual aspect as seen through a telescope.
It is an information/observational site, and access to this material would be totally free.
I hope my proposal will be of your interest.
Regards from Argentina.
Claudio Martinez
IOTA
Your site was amazingly helpful again tonight. I would be lost without it. I reference your sketches and images all the time.
Donald, I'm glad you find it useful! Thanks very much for the comment.
Claudio, I have sent an email to you. Sorry it took so long.
Jeremy
Hello Jeremy,
I'm very glad that I found your site (an excellent resource) because I'm a beginner in sketching. I'm sure it will help me a lot. Thank you for maintaining this site.
Marius, Romania
P.S. Sorry for the bad English
Marius, thank you, I'm glad the site has been helpful. I hope you have a great time sketching!
Jeremy
Jeremy
Terrific site, and wonderful sketches. I would love to use your M41 sketch for an observing article we are doing on Canis Major. I had the pleasure of spending some time in Australia with David Moody, and Erika Rix has contributed some of her fine solar sketches in the past. I would also like for you to consider writing a short article on astronomical sketching.
Best regards,
Charlie Warren
Editor - Amateur Astronomy Magazine
Jeremy,
A very useful and informative website. I have been dabbling in astronomy for the last 8 months or so and have got increasingly interested in imaging deep sky objects. I started with that awe-struck feeling of seeing Jupiter for the first time, and now I never cease to be amazed by what is out there and can be seen even from a light polluted city (Hull UK) and a small scope (William Optics Megrez 72 FD).
Your site has been invaluable in helping me positively identify the blurry smudges on my photos using the relationship with nearby objects. Most other sites just give fantastic images of the object of interest without showing what is around it - clearly no good for identification purposes for those with 3" scopes in light polluted skies. Thanks for making your work available.
Regards,
Doug
That's great to hear, Doug. I'm glad the site has been helpful. I find that the context surrounding these objects is an important part of what makes them unique and memorable. I hope that sense of amazement never goes away.
Jeremy
Hey, Jeremy.
Nice website. Now I'm going to have to start sketching! I'd like permission to post your "belt of Venus" image on my website and astronomy blog for a local Louisville TV station.
I'm doing a piece on the latest sunsets and observing the "Belt" Will post a link to your site and ask that you do the same with a link to www.stargeezerastronomy.com
BTW, We've been on vacation and Sunday night while driving back home from Yellowstone we observed a beautiful "Belt O' Venus" (or as we're now calling it "the Belch of Venus")
Clear skies,
Mark Steven Williams
www.stargeezerastronomy.com
Caro astrofilo (artista) son un artista in quanto dipingo quadri nonché un astrofilo visuali-sta, trovo i tuoi schizzi degli oggetti astronomici dei veri capolavori nel suo genere, in quanto operare in condizioni estreme osservando in un piccolo oculare e poi trascriverlo sotto forma di disegno conforme alla realtà affinché i disegni siano poi un documento reale non e facile.
Bravo! Meriti molto.
Hi,I was directed to your site on a post on the stargazerslounge forum. Lovely work and the tutorials have inspired me to start sketching. I've bookmarked you and will be returning.
Many thanks, Pug
Pug, that's great to hear! I hope the site is helpful. Be sure to check the sketching resources page for loads of great sketching sites and tutorials:
http://www.perezmedia.net/beltofvenus/archives/000567.html
Wishing you much success with your sketching!
Jeremy
Hi from Madrid, Spain.
I just want to congratulate you for your incredible and useful sketchs.
For me, they are very useful so that you can have an idea of how things could be observed with a telescope and whow they will be seen throught it.
Congratulations and continue with your excelent work that is a gift to all the amateurs observers arround the world.
Hi Ignacio,
I'm glad the sketches have been helpful. Thanks very much for the comment!
Jeremy
Hello Jeremy, I am so happy to have found this site. I am still quite new to observational astronomy but loving every arc minute of it! I really enjoy your posts, but am most excited about your sketches and the resources you provide to others who also want to sketch or learn to sketch. I started with an XT8 but have finally worked myself down to a pair of 15x70's that are to be delivered tomorrow! Thanks for all of your great work here!!
Hi Jon, sketching really is a great way to get absorbed in those observations. I'm glad you're considering it--and that the site has been inspiring! The XT8 and 15x70s will be an awesome combo. Those binoculars are just in time to get them pointed at C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS) in a couple weeks. I'm really looking forward to that one, and definitely ISON at the end of the year. Thanks for the comment!
Jeremy
What a wealth of information on this wonderful site.
Can't wait to go outside and start drawing!!