Hi, you've reached the bio page for Jeremy Perez. I work as a graphic artist in Flagstaff, Arizona (USA). I've been a designer and artist for print media since 1990. Technical and artistic illustration are facets of the job I find most rewarding. I can't get enough of those sort of projects. Which is where this hobby of amateur astronomy came to the rescue, strangely enough.
I've had a strong interest in astronomy since I was a kid growing up in good old light-polluted Phoenix Arizona. I did manage to break out some tiny binoculars to follow and sketch the changing position of Jupiter's moons for a while in high school, and made a binocular spotting of Halley's Comet in 1986.
During the summer of 2004, ten years after moving to Flagstaff, we had a lengthy power failure one evening. So, my wife, two kids and I went outside, laid down on the driveway and feasted on the fat, marbled, summer Milky Way. With all the lights out on our side of town, it was magnificent beyond words. And it was peaceful. Quiet. Dark. Beautiful. I couldn't stand it. I felt that I really needed to explore this spectacle and see with my own eyes what I had been reading about for so long. And after living mere minutes from some of the darkest skies in the country for ten years, it seemed like it was about time.
After investing in my 6-inch (150 mm) Equatorial Newtonian, I got busy exploring the night sky every chance I could. Loads of online research had encouraged me to be sure I documented my observations as a means of learning how to see these marvelous objects, to track my progress in detecting them, and to just keep them for general posterity. A number of astro websites I landed on encouraged not just note-taking, but sketching. I decided to give it a try, and began with very casual, almost scribbled drawings of the first Messier objects I encountered. At first, those sketches helped me to confirm that I had indeed spotted the right object, and I was happy with that. After a few observations though, I realized that the process really was helping my ability to pick out details. I started to see each object not just as another splash of stars or lump of mist, but as unique marvels, rich with personality and detail waiting to be extracted by a patient eye. I also realized that I might actually enjoy trying to accurately capture the visual impression of those wondrous forms on paper. And so I do. That's what I've been working on since then, and what I hope to convey on this site, along with the joy of simply seeing the wonders of the heavens and learning just what those distant objects are.
I had the pleasure of working with four other amateur astronomers/sketchers to co-author a book published in May 2007:
Astronomical Sketching: A Step-by-Step Introduction
(Patrick Moore's Practical Astronomy Series)
(published by Springer).
I currently write and illustrate a column on astronomical sketching for Astronomy Now and provide sketches to both Astronomy Now, Sky and Telescope, and a few other publications. I am keeping an updated list here: Published Material
I hope you enjoy the site,
Jeremy Perez
Jeremy,
I live here in Flagstaff, too. I tried to view the comet on Sunday the 14th and it was too cloudy and the sky was filled with high altitude ice clouds. Pretty frustrating. Had I bittered the cold I think I would have gotten a glimpse of it as you did on that day.
However on the 15th the sky was much clearer. I saw it immediately after I left the house at 10:15 AM.
I got the glimpse of it when I covered the sun with my hand. I would say that it was maybe 6 deg away and my estimation of its magnitude was about -4 or more as Venus at the time was -3.9. It is hard to tell the magnitude when the comet is still so close to the sun. But I certainly think that it must have been brighter as it was so close the sun's glare.
When I got to work at Quality Connections here in Flagstaff on Huntington Drive. I stood outside and viewed it again. That was at 11:00 AM. It was quite visible and I scanned to the east and was able to spot Venus. Still my sense of the comet's brilliance was that it being closer to the sun was certainly brighter than Venus.
I could see with without optical aid a very faint cone shaped cloud like tail. Perhaps .5 degree or maybe more long.
I called out some of my co-workers to view it as well to confirm my sightings. At first they did not see it but when I showed them how to spot it it quite apparent to them.
I watched it on and off till 3:00 PM when the haze made it more difficult to see. But Venus was still high and very clear. Mag -3.9 to -4?
Then the next day, the 16th, I saw it at the same times 10:00 Am to 3:00 PM. Again I had my co-workers view it and they were amazed to have seen it more clearly than the day before, for it had moved out and away from the sun's glare. My perception of it was that it appeared brighter than Venus, much more so than the day before. The tail was not as distinct though. It with no optical enhancement looked like a lopsided cloud with a starlike point toward the sun.
Then I saw it again on the 17th, and then again on the 18th. At each sighting the location at 12:00 PM was different than the previous day. And the distance from the sun increased so that on the last sighting it is my estimate that it was mabye 10 to 12 degrees away from the sun. One could actually trace the orbit of the comet over these four days it went from 6 degrees to nearly 12 tracking down toward the south and to the west.
Then later that last night on the 18th, I went up to USGS and saw Venus set. The upper part of the tail was visible. Shafts of pale light going up. I counted three very clearly, and maybe several more with averted vision.
All told it was an amazing thing to have finally seen a daylight comet. I missed Ikeya Seki in 1965 because no one then told me how to look for it in the day. I did not even see it in night. So this sighting over those four days was quite gratifying.
Now the only regret I have is that I did not make a record of it other than the impression that I made in showing others how to see it.
However, my memory is quite good of this remarkable comet and how I viewed it and I would like to make a drawing with my hands up blocking the sun and showing what I could see with my naked eye.
I can draw well and I think that that is what I will do. However, do you know if photoshop can be used? I could take a photo of my hand as I held them up against the sky and then after that is done draw in how I remember seeing the comet. Do you think that this could be done? I don't have any experience with photoshop.
Steve Schoner
Flagstaff, AZ
Steve, that was a great report about your midday observations of the comet. I tried to find it on the 15th and 16th from work during lunch, but didn't spot it. I was definitely not dressed for the chill and wind we had on those days and wasn't feeling very patient as I tried to find it. I'm glad you were able to observe it multiple days in a row as well as catch some of the emerging synchronic bands later in the week. I think that photographing your hand against the sky and using that as a template for a sketch of the comet is an excellent idea. It's definitely possible to sketch the comet in Photoshop. That's what I did for all three of my twilight observations. The problem is that it can be a bit tricky to get Photoshop to produce a sketch that looks the way you want, particularly if you are new to the program. On my list of things to do, I plan to draw up a tutorial about how I produced those digital comet sketches with Photoshop. I'm not sure when I'll be able to put that together though. Have you considered taking a photo of your hand against the sky, printing that out, and then using it as a template to do a hand-drawn sketch of the comet? If you end up doing it, let me know. I'd love to see the result.
Jeremy
I love your site! Of course I could be prejudice remembering our fun times together.
Recently I went down to Rocky Point and slept out on the patio of the beach house where we were staying.
Incredible vision at night. Awesome is a word used to often. Should be reserved for a star filled night. Oh,,,,,,,,the milky way. Almost too much to take in. Night after night the beauty of it all.
Thanks for your great site!
I shared it with one of my employers who is a school teacher.
Joan Benton
Hi Joan! I'm glad you stopped by the website.
Staring up into an unpolluted, star-filled sky is something that goes beyond words to describe. All too often, people don't even realize that the night sky can look so majestic. Let me know if you or your employer have any questions. Sorry we missed you when we were in Phoenix last month.
Take care,
Jeremy
Hey Jeremy!
I found that you added my site to your links and I thought I would pay you back and now I have your site in my links. I wanted to know if you were interested in some sort of partnership between our websites, meaning that we could make "guest" appearances on each other's websites, mutually posting articles and creating a bond between our readers, and therefore increasing our audience... Drop me an email if you're interested
Hi Clement, thanks for your comment. I've sent an email your way.
Jeremy
You stated above that, "I got busy exploring the night sky every chance I could. Loads of online research had encouraged me to be sure I documented my observations as a means of learning how to see these marvelous objects, to track my progress in detecting them, and to just keep them for general posterity. A number of astro websites I landed on encouraged not just note-taking, but sketching."
Can tell me what were the best sites that gave you the most help?
Interested teacher,
Sammie
Hi Sammie, when it comes to sketching observations, I have a pretty extensive list of sites here: Astronomical Sketching Resources. In particular, take a look at the "Astronomical Sketching Essays" section for sites that discuss the benefits of sketching as a way of improving observing skill.
Overall though, the sites I benefited from the most are:
Bill Ferris' Cosmic Voyage
Bill has a great deal of content at his site. Including observing notes and sketches of hundreds of objects. Be sure to browse the discussion links from his main page as he describes the joy of visual observing and helpful methods for doing so.
Cloudy Nights
Be sure to browse the articles and forums here. There is an enormous wealth of information about every topic related to amateur astronomy.
Astronomical Weblinks by S. Waldee. Is an exceptional astronomy portal. He has a great selection of excellent websites covering all manner of topics. He thoroughly reviews each site, so you can determine whether you would like to spend time browsing it before you even go there.
For visual observing, this article: Visual Astronomy by Auke Slotegraaf is a great primer.
There are a number of other sites I found useful along the way for a variety of reasons. I hope these links provide a starting point. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
Enjoyed your talk very much Friday at SAC in Phoenix on sketching. Are you going to the Messier Marathon? I think I will sketch all 110 in one night, you have shown how easy it can be!
Jack
Hi Jack, it was a pleasure to speak to the SAC on Friday. I got some helpful feedback during & after the talk. Getting to this year's Messier Marathon is something I'm really hoping to do. And I was chewing on the same idea of doing a very basic sketch of each. Instead of an Imaging Messier Marathon, it's a Sketching Messier Marathon. I look forward to seeing or hearing about your results! Here's hoping gobs of cirrus don't plug everything up.
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy, I was staying at my ranch east of Showlow between 5/13 and 5/21 09 and awoke about 4:00 am on at least 2 mornings (about 5/17-18 I think) to see a fairly large bright object in the eastern sky to the lower left of the moon. My first thought was Venus but it was far bigger than any star I have ever seen. It remained there until after sunrise. Any idea as to what this was?
Thanks,
Keith
Hi Keith, that sounds a lot like Venus. It can be distractingly bright at this point in its orbit. Here is a bit of info from Sky and Telescope: Sky at a Glance. With a crescent moon nearby, it can be a fantastic sight.
Jeremy,
Fantastic web site--a work of art. This is just what I have been looking for! The section on double stars is incredible. It has inspired me to start observing these celestial gems again. The last time I viewed Zeta Bootes with a telescope in the late 1970s the seperation was 1.2 arc seconds. It is know just under 0.7. It is great to be back.
Michael, thanks very much, that's great to hear! Tracking the progress of a fast/close double is just amazing. I hope you enjoy the views.
Jeremy
Dear Jeremy,
I've really been enjoying your astro-sketches. As a beginner sketcher myself, I've found your information very handy to help get me going. I'm going to get a copy of your book now.
I maintain a weblog on nature and astronomy observations "Bishopthorpe Nature" from my home near York in the UK, which includes a sketch gallery. I'd be very happy if you could provide a link to it:
http://bishnature.wordpress.com/
Keep up the good work and I look forward to future posts!
Peter Mayhew
Call for Entries for “Navigating by the Stars: Art Inspired by the Night Sky”
True North Gallery is seeking submissions for “Navigating by the Stars: Art Inspired by the Night Sky,” a juried exhibition that will run from November 14 to January 30.
IDEAS FOR EXPLORING THE THEME
All works must in some way address the theme of the exhibit. Subjects, motifs, forms, and ideas for possible exploration include (but are not limited to): stars, constellations, astronomical star charts/maps, planispheres, sextants, astrolabes, celestial phenomena (such as the aurora borealis and meteor showers), night migrations (such as those by birds and other animals that navigate by the stars), and astral religions and myths.
For information about True North Gallery, visit: www.truenorthgallery.net
For complete guidelines, please email: gallerydirector@truenorthgallery.net
Or visit True North’s blog: http://truenorthgallery.net/blog/
Jeremy,
Your site is awesome it really give s a idea that astronomy is not confined to only to
costly scopes and dark skies it can be enjoyed
seriously in light polluted skies also with a
bit patience , yes it is cool!!!!!!
Debayan
Thanks very much, Debayan.
Although I have to admit, even when I observe in town from my home, the sky quality compared to most urban/suburban areas is still very good. I just have to be sure to shield my eyes from direct glare, but otherwise, the high altitude keeps any light pollution from otherwise lighting the sky up heavily.
It can definitely be frustrating to observe where the skies are milky white or orange from light pollution and haze. However, by taking time to examine an object carefully, and (you knew I was going to say it :) by sketching, an observer can really get the most out of whatever conditions they have to deal with.
And when the light pollution is really bad, the moon, sun, planets, double stars, and brighter deep sky objects are still fascinating subjects.
Thanks for the comment and the enthusiasm. I hope you enjoy some more observing soon.
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
Just visited your site. Awesome, and well-organised. Can I include a link from my website? I have just written a book called "Handbook of Binocular Astronomy" and some of it is on my site (go to the "read the book" link). Love to add you to the links page.
Michael Poxon
Norwich, UK
Hi,
I've been asked by Springer to revise the book `Observing and Measuring Visual Double Stars' and wondered if you'd like to contribute a chapter on how to sketch double stars?
Regards
Hi Bob,
I've sent you an email.
Thanks,
Jeremy
Hi Michael,
Thanks for the note about your site. I've enjoyed browsing the entries. And certainly, feel free to add the link if you wish.
Clear skies,
Jeremy