MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Beginning: I will begin with a narrative of my personal experiences with astronomy, starting from a young age when my father built a telescope. I will then transition to the emergent field of amateur astrophotography, and define a few key terms relating to astronomy and photography that will be ubiquitous throughout the document. Continuing, I will explain the relative ease of getting started in this exciting field, and hint at some of the benefits (experience outdoors, general photography experience, even amateur science).

Middle: I will reference numerous sources to support my claim of an easily accessible and every-expanding field - NASA resources, amateur astrophotography websites, references to personal images captured by Reddit users, and even scientific publications that amateur astronomers have co-authored.

End: I will expand more on amateur astrophotography competitions and the potential of meaningful contributions to the scientific community, while also referencing further reading that interested readers can peruse to learn more about alternative techniques, equipment, or software.

LOGOS: 1) NASA articles regarding astrophotography as an expanding field; 2)Testimony of expert astrophotographers from Sky & Telescope, Popular Mechanics, etc. ; 3) Equipment reviews and "get started" guides written by professional photographers; 4) Personal experiences of amateur astrophotographers concerning how they began, how they improved over time.

PATHOS: Interesting anecdotes about getting "the perfect shot", possibly before/after images as amateur photographers became more proficient. Personal anecdotes about the meaningful experiences associated with getting outside and spending time in nature, putting our planet into a cosmic perspective, etc.

ETHOS: Credibility of professional astronomers writing about the emergence of astrophotography due to advances in technology, NASA officials as well. Expert photographers who run blogs/photojournalism websites. I include myself as a credible source as well due to my deep interest in astronomy, pursuit of a minor in Astronomy at UMD, personal experiences with telescopes.

STRUCTURE: I will use two structures: 1) Personal anecdotes to hook reader and convince them of my credibility (and enthusiasm) towards this field, as well as the writings of other individuals. and 2) Multi-part "how-to" for different parts of this hobby (equipment, locations, post-processing, long-exposure vs. fixed-mount).

GOAL: Convince the reader of the benefits of taking up such a hobby as well as why it's worth the relatively high startup cost, while also making the field seem more accessible by breaking it down into easy to comprehend, bite-sized sections. Reinforce the importance of amateur astronomy for the future of astronomy and cosmology by referencing landmark discoveries made by backyard astronomers.

J, really fun document for you to work on and for me to read. I wonder if you can share in some way: Scouting? Church group?

Would you be willing to host a star gazing night with classmates or ILS peeps?

Also, is something like this setup possible for iPhone or for android? Could be a gateway into telescopes. :)

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HKAE2ZM/A/olloclip-4-in-1-lens-for-iphone-se-5s-5

J, really fun document for you to work on and for me to read. I wonder if you can share in some way: Scouting? Church group?

Would you be willing to host a star gazing night with classmates or ILS peeps?

Also, is something like this setup possible for iPhone or for android? Could be a gateway into telescopes. :)

https://www.apple.com/shop/product/HKAE2ZM/A/olloclip-4-in-1-lens-for-iphone-se-5s-5