Joe Lopinot

Joe and his wife Mary live outside of Highland, IL, a community of 8,000 located 35 miles northeast of St. Louis, MO.  Here they enjoy gardening, music, photography and the natural surroundings of their lake home.  Although trees block most horizons and Highland lies only 2 miles to the west, the view from the deck delivers reasonably dark skies on quiet, transparent evenings.

Joe’s first telescope was the requisite two inch department store refractor bought for him by his father just weeks after the Apollo 11 lunar landing.  After lying dormant for many years, Joe’s interest in amateur astronomy was rekindled about three years ago, steadily moving toward the goal of backyard astrophotography.  Today he owns a 12” truss Newtonian and two apo refractors of 65 and 106 mm with which he plans to begin finding his way through the challenges of astro imaging.

Joe is an active member of the River Bend Astronomy Club based in nearby St. Jacob, IL.  The club’s excellent dark site and monthly meeting location sits on the western shore of Carlyle Lake, only 25 minutes from Highland and far from obstructing lights.  Between these pristine skies and the very good conditions right out his back door, Joe is looking forward to many years of enjoyment observing and photographing the night sky.