Local man shoots for the stars. Literally.

The night sky often represents an end to the day and a time for rest and relaxation. For local astrophotographer Bill Gaskin, the day has just begun.

Gaskin, 66, is a retired Air Force fighter pilot and Sandestin resident who has been an avid stargazer for the past three years. His dedication and complete devotion to the art of astrophotography has inspired him to teach courses on the subject at the Emerald Coast Science Center in Fort Walton Beach.

"Astrophotography is different than astronomy," said Gaskin. "You don't see color when you don't have a lot of light. All of the electromagnetic radiation stays with the camera and you can produce color."

According to Gaskin, picture development can often take a long time. Even on his $30,000 custom telescope, a 10 minute wait for multiple exposures is not out of the question.

"You use software in camera to find guide ship that locks on star," said Gaskin. "Even though earth is moving, it can stay with it."

The term astrophotography dates back to the 1840s when a picture of the moon was captured by John William Draper. Today, the photography is broken into two forms: deep space and planetary, both of which require different scopes for viewing.

"Light in outer space is so vague that it is hard to see, said Gaskin. "Light from Jupiter will be seen with a planetary viewer but a deep space camera would be blocked out by light."

According to Gaskin, he is one of only 15 practicing astronomers and two astrophotographers in Northwest Florida. The classes that he teaches at the ECSC are free to the public due to the corporate grants that the center receives each year.

"This past year Bank of America gave us a grant of $10, 000," said Gaskin. "They should definitely be given credit for their help."

Although classes may be free, there are a few other considerations before venturing into astrophotography.

"You've got to understand the universe, telescopes/lenses, cameras, and be damn good with computers," said Gaskin.