A Xemxija man recently obtained four qualifications that have made him the first Maltese amateur astrophotographer.

Alan Castillo obtained first level certification in each of the four categories in the Certified DSI Imager Program (CDIP).

Created by top calibre American astrophotographers, the programme is targeted at all amateurs using the DSI (Deep Sky Imager) range of cameras, which are produced by the world-famous Meade Instruments, manufacturers of telescopes and related equipment in Irvine, California (www.meade.com).

The four categories in the CDIP are: galaxies, nebulae, stars and clusters, and the solar system. Each level requires a certain number of points and images to qualify for final certification.

Mr Castillo has been an amateur astrophotographer since October 2005. He currently uses a 12-inch diameter Meade LX200R advanced Ritchey-Chretien telescope, as well as a Williams Megrez 80-millimetre apochromatic refractor.

He said: “I hope to shortly obtain my advanced certification in the nebulae category. Each image I shoot may take between one to six hours of exposure time, plus between two to four hours of processing time to produce the final image”.

A sample of Mr Castillo’s work may be viewed at http://autostarsuite.net/photos/cert_nebulae/category1210.aspx. His personal website is accessible at www.geocities.com/alancastillo1.