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Rockbridge Regional Library will host astrophotographer Ed Dixon, from Roanoke Valley Astronomical Society (RVAS), for a solar eclipse informational overview on Wednesday, April 3, at 1 p.m.
Dixon will also display some of the gear he will use to capture data and images on eclipse day. He will explain the safety measures necessary for viewing and taking photos of the sun, since neither is safe without proper equipment. If weather permits, he will demonstrate a robotic telescope equipped with a special scope to capture an image of the sun that attendees can view, and then receive in email. The first 20 attendees will get their own pair of solar viewing glasses to keep (one pair per family).
Dixon, who grew up in southwestern Virginia, got interested in astronomy at age 13 when his dad gave him a small telescope. After earning degrees in electrical engineering, math, and computer science, he worked for decades in the aerospace industry. His interest in photography also dates back to his early years and he still takes many regular images in addition to astrophotography.
