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Contact information
e-mails
app@mstecker.com
masmd@sbcglobal.net
mstecker@dslextreme.com (old)
.
websites
http://mstecker.com
http://www.doctorstecker.com
.
Locator Map
http://www.frappr.com/apppublic
Level of accuracy: individual house
Biography
I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1943, but grew up and was educated in
Detroit, Michigan where I attended Hampton Elementary and Mumford High
School. Coincidently, the famous billionaire Hollywood movie and
television producer Jerry Bruckheimer was a classmate of mine at Mumford. I received the B.S. (1964) and M.D.
(1968) degrees from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Then it was off to Iowa City where I did my internship and a small
research project in cochlear disease at University Hospital. After
internship and at the height of the Viet Nam war, I was “encouraged” to join the U.S. Army Medical Corps and
spent two years on a beautiful Army Security Agency (ASA) Station in
Sonoma County called Two Rock Ranch (west of Petaluma, California and
about an hours drive north of San Francisco). I did my residency in
diagnostic radiology at the University of Southern California’s L.A.
County Hospital and have been in West Los Angeles continuously to this
date.
Initiation into
astrophotography started in 1986 when I decided to “take a few pictures of
Comet Halley”, but instead became hooked on the hobby. Most of my
astrophotography was done at 8300 ft. Mt. Pinos – a gathering site for
astrophotographers and observers alike in Southern California. There I
became friendly with a group of people affectionately called the “Rat
Pack” (Martin Germano, Kim Zussman, Tony Hallas, Bill Fletcher, James
Foster and Bob Fera). I learned a lot from these six as well as others
online at the APML. I have also done some astrophotography at the
Anglo-Australian Observatory (Siding Springs), Carnegie’s Las Campanas
Observatory in Chile and Lake Titicaca, Bolivia. I am a former member of
the Santa Monica Amateur Astronomy Club (see:
link). My other interests
are travel, scenic photography, reading and tropical fish.
Astronomy Tale
Surprise!
It was early spring, 1986, I was new to astronomy and
Comet Halley
(1982i) was at its brightest. This would be the only time I could see the
comet in my life and figured I would get my best chance of seeing it in
Australia. I therefore, packed my telescope, called up Quantas, tied me
kangaroo down mate, and flew off to Sydney. I knew no one in Australia,
but thought that a place near the Anglo-Australian Observatory (Siding
Springs) in northern New South Wales should be ideal. I arrived at the
small town of Coonabarabran near the observatory after a six hour drive
north of Sydney and chose the first motel I found to rest and plan for the
comet shoot. On my first night observing I was alone except for those
infamous giant Huntsman and Orb-weaving spiders endemic to the region.
This was no fun, so I inquired at the local Chamber of Commerce, if there
was anyone I could accompany to see the comet. I was told that there was
a Yank at my motel named Steve who was also alone and that I should
ask him if he would like a partner in his astrophotography. I did just
that, but Steve was rather hesitant in answering and said he would have to
clear it with his friend Tommy, because he observed from the drive-way of
his house. This was somewhat baffling to me. Why was it such a big deal
to observe from a friends house? Finally, Steve agreed and we drove off
at night to Tom’s house. What a long drive it was. Suddenly, Steve
stopped the car and walked up to a gate similar to those seen at a border
or railroad crossing. To my surprise he opened the gate and we drove in.
We were on the grounds of the Anglo-Australian Observatory and Tom was the
head night attendant. His house was just a stone’s throw from the 48-inch
Schmidt camera and 150-inch Anglo-Australian Telescope. Quite an
introduction to a novice like me who only became interested in astronomy a
few months earlier!
Areas of astrophotography interest
wide field, comets, dark nebulae, rare objects
Astrophotography publications
x
Magazines
Angkasa
(Indonesia), Astronomy,
Astronomy Now (UK), CCD Astronomy
(Sky Publishing), Ciel et Espace (France), Coelum
(Italy), Il Cielo (Italy),
Deep Sky (Kalmback Publishing), Observatory
Techniques,
Sky and Space, Sky and Telescope,
Smithsonian, Southern Sky (Australia), Temmon Guide (Japan), Deep-Sky
Observer (Webb Society).
Books
Astro-Box
(Octopus PublishingGroup), Astronomy (New Holland
Publishing), Atlas of Space (Aladdin Books),
Bedroom Astronomy (Klutz), Cambridge Guide to
Astronomical Discovery (W. Liller), Cambridge Starfinder,
Collins Encyclopedia of the Universe, DK
Guide to Constellations,
DK Our Mysterious Universe, EL for Africa (MacMillan),
Extreme Universe (Channel 4 Books), Facts at your
Fingertips, Heaven & Earth,
Killers in Space (Pioneer), Solar System (Arcturus),
Space Book (Arcturus), Pearson Education
Mega Max, Myth of Americas (Anness Publishing), New
Astronomer (Dorling Kindersley), One time World,
Philip's Night Sky Atlas,
Philip's The Universe (Toucan Books), Space Book
(3D Eye), Spektrum Sternbilder, Secrets of the
Universe (M-Press), Space Encyclopedia (Dorling
Kindersley), Starfire Stars & Planets (The Foundry),
Stargazing 2005 (Philips),
Stargazing With a Telescope, Structures
in Space (Springer-Verlag),
Telescope & Techniques
(Springer-Verlag), Through the Eyes of
Hubble (Robert Naeye),
Universe
(Marshall Ed.), Universe Bind-Up
(Kingfisher), Young People's Book of Space.
Professional Journals
Radiology
Journal of Organic Chemistry
Angewandte Chemie Internat
Television (BBC)
Extreme Machines III, Space, Comets,
Pioneer Universe 2001 Big Bang,
Space Odyssey (BBC Worldwide)
Observing site
Mount Pinos in Los Padres National Forest of Southern California
Astronomical Equipment
Astro-Physics 900 german
equatorial mount, Astro-Physics 130 mm f/6 EDF refractor, Astro-Physics
155 mm f/7 EDF refractor, Celestron C-11 SCT
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