A mirror full of stars

Joe Wheelock is a Public Affairs Specialist at University of Texas’ McDonald Observatory, where not only does he get to talk and give tours at this window to the rest of the universe, but has taken some fantastic photos of the worlds around ours. Mr. Wheelock took some time to talk to the Brophisticate about his passion and places our ancestors will surely live.

Brophisticate: So, what’s it like to be around stars, planets, nebula and the smart people who know a lot about them?
Joe Wheelock: It is a very interesting job. On a daily basis I interact with many different types of people. We get visitors and astronomers that come from all over the world. Of course to get the best views of the night sky you have to be far away from cities. Living in an isolated area like this does have some challenges and it is not for everyone. In today’s society most people are so “connected” with smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices and that can be a challenge here. Service is spotty or does not exist at all in many areas of this region. In fact, I don’t even have a smart phone. I do have an old flip phone that I just use on trips. There are decent grocery stores, hardware, etc. that are pretty close (20-45min. drive) but to get to the “big” stores it is a 3 hour drive to El-Paso or the Midland-Odessa area.

How does one take photos through a telescope?
There are different methods. You can attach a camera to a telescope with special adapters, and use it like a giant telephoto for close up images. Another method is to mount a camera on top of the telescope for wide angle pictures. In either case you need to have the telescope/camera on a mount that will compensate for the rotation of the earth. This type of mounting is called an equatorial mounting. One axis is parallel with the axis of the earth and a small motor will move it at the proper rate. If you do not do this then you will get what are called “star trails.” When I first started, photographic film was used and in some cases it could take anywhere from 15min. to a one hour exposure to get good results. Today with digital techniques, good results can be obtained in a matter of minutes.

What are some of the more recent exciting developments in astronomy in your mind?

One big thing is the discovery of planets orbiting around other stars. To date we know of around 2000 extra-solar planets. The holy grail is to find a planet like the earth. Also the possibility of other types of life. There some bodies in the solar system (other than earth) that may have life. In my mind the most likely prospect is a moon of Jupiter called Europa. It has an ice covered surface, and very likely an ocean beneath the ice that could support life. A moon of Saturn called Titan is another prospect and Mars has possibilities too.

Does it ever frustrate you getting to look at and photograph wonderful looking places that we’ll never get to visit, at least in our lifetimes?

I guess one of the most frustrating things about your question is that we have not been back to the Moon or sent humans to Mars! When I was a kid I thought that by now we would have bases on the moon, mars, etc. Don’t get me wrong, there have been great advances. I have been following the New Horizons mission to Pluto very closely and the pictures have been astounding!

There’s a been great leaps recently in the private sector to get into space, especially since the Obama administration has cut funding to NASA early in his first term. Do you see this as a setback or a natural evolution of progress?

There is a misconception among the general public that NASA has a huge budget and that is far from the truth. In fact we spend more on pet food every year than the entire NASA budget!

I really hope that we do establish bases on the moon and go to Mars in my lifetime, but with politics as part of the equation, I am skeptical that we will. I think the best way for the human race to accomplish this is to have more cooperation on an international level. One of my favorite quotes is from Carl Sagan:

“A new consciousness is developing which sees the earth as a single organism and recognizes that an organism at war with itself is doomed. We are one planet. One of the great revelations of the age of space exploration is the image of the earth finite and lonely, somehow vulnerable, bearing the entire human species through the oceans of space and time.”

If you got asked to be part of the Mars Mission (in which you’d never come back to Earth), would you consider it?
Yes I would!