Stargazing | Astrophotography

Blind Canadian astronomer has advantage over most stargazers

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Leeanna McLean

Digital Reporter

Friday, June 1, 2018, 5:49 AM - Tim Doucette of Quinan, N.S., is a legally blind astrophotographer and while he may not be able to see, the Maritimer actually has an advantage over most stargazers.

The Nova Scotian was born with congenital cataracts. As a child he underwent surgery to remove the lenses of his eyes, which help to filter out UV light.

"I have about 10 percent of my eyesight, but I'm able to see very well at night and I'm actually able to see part in ultraviolet as well. So, I kind of have a bit of an advantage over most people when it comes to stargazing," Doucette told The Weather Network's Nathan Coleman.

Eclipse of the Moon. Image courtesy: Tim Doucette

While he has to be very careful in the daytime, at night Doucette is able to see a slightly different bandwidth of light.

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Orion processed. Image courtesy: Tim Doucette

"I kind of see a little bit in the ultraviolet spectrum, and some objects in the night sky emit ultraviolet light."

And when the stars are out, Doucette can be found in his Deep Sky Eye Observatory located on his property. He spends countless hours exploring the night sky through his 14-inch Celestron telescope.

Located in southwestern Nova Scotia, Quinan is an area where there is hardly any light pollution. The region was the first in North America to be designated by UNESCO as a starlight destination and reserve back in 2014.

Tim Doucette with one of his telescopes. Image courtesy: Tim Doucette

People from all over the world have visited Doucette's observatory. The photographer has been spreading awareness about how light pollution in his area can impact astrotourism.

As a result, the nearby Tusket Ford dealership has decided to turn its lights off overnight to help Doucette and other astrophotographers.

"We've had some feedback from some of the local stargazers that they've noticed that the light bubble coming from Tusket is now a lot smaller, and almost nonexistent," said Marcel Pothier of Tusket Ford.

Horsehead Nebula. Image courtesy: Tim Doucette

Doucette is taking his passion for stargazing a step further by building three star domes for tourists to utilize.

"It's just awesome to be able to help other people you know, kind of see what's in the telescope and be able to point things out," he said. "I'm so used to asking people, 'what's on that menu, who is that over there?' Now people are asking me what I see. So, it's kind of a neat thing."

See more of Doucette's spectacular photos, here.

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