Robert Reeves: The Evolution of the Moon
Join us as Robert Reeves, author of two lunar books, presents the evolution of the Moon and its geology. We are sure to learn more about what we’re seeing as we peer through the Moon with our telescopes or are simply sitting back and marveling at our companion satellite.
Robert Reeves has been exploring the cosmos since 1958 and took his first lunar photograph in 1959. He began telescopic astronomy with a four-inch Criterion Dynascope, his Christmas present in 1960. Robert began photographically exploring the Moon while in high school and his Moon photography entry in the 1965 Alamo Regional Science Fair won him a trip to the Johnson Space Center during the groundbreaking 8-day flight of Gemini 5 in the summer of 1965. In 1975 he acquired a Celestron 8 telescope, which he still uses today. In 1977, Robert acquired a Celestron 8-inch Schmidt camera that he used for a quarter century for deep sky photography. Today, Reeves uses a Celestron 11 Edge HD and a Sky-Watcher 180mm Maksutov for lunar photography from his Perspective Observatory located in central Texas. Robert also uses a Sky-Watcher 20-inch Stargate telescope for visual observation and a Celestron 14 with a HyperStar for deep-sky photography.
In 1984 Reeves began publishing articles about astrophotography in Astronomy magazine. Since then, Robert has published over 250 magazine articles and 250 newspaper columns about astronomy. His articles have appeared in Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, Deep Sky, Deep Sky Journal, Amateur Astronomy, and The Astrograph. In 1994 Reeves published his first book, The Superpower Space Race, followed by The Conquest of Space, co-authored with Fritz Bronner. In 2000, Robert published Wide-Field Astrophotography, followed by Introduction to Digital Astrophophotography in 2005 and Introduction to Webcam Astrophotography in 2006. In the 21st century, Robert has pivoted into popularizing the Moon and his book, Exploring the Moon with Robert Reeves, was released in August of 2023. This was followed by Photographic Lunar Atlas, a lavishly illustrated volume released in September of 2024.
Although Robert Reeves is an accomplished deep sky astrophotographer, his current passion is re-popularizing the Moon within the amateur astronomy community by explaining the origin of the Moon, the evolution of its face, and introducing its geology to Moon lovers everywhere. Robert has perfected image processing techniques that allow the amateur astronomer, using modest equipment, to exceed the quality of Earth-based professional lunar photographs taken during the Apollo era.
Robert Reeves enjoys speaking about astronomy and spreading his passion for the Moon and photographing the heavens. In addition to appearances and Zoom presentations to interested groups, Reeves has been a keynote speaker at the Winter Star Party, Apollo Rendezvous , the Advanced Imaging Conference, the Okie-Tex Star Party, the Southwest Astrophoto Seminar, AstroImage, ALCON, NEAF, NEAIC, and the Texas Star Party. Robert has also been the Master of Ceremonies for both ALCON and the Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo. His recent activities include a five-city speaking tour in China where Reeves was the first westerner to address the Chinese astronomy community about the Moon. Reeves also represents the Celestron telescope company at national astronomical conventions.
For many years Robert published a different lunar photograph with a descriptive text in his daily posting called 365 Days of the Moon. Today, Robert Reeves continues this tradition with his daily Postcard from the Moon, highlighting different lunar features each day.
Asteroid 26591 Robertreeves is named in his honor and asteroid 26592 Maryrenfro bears his wife’s name. Robert and Mary Reeves are the only husband and wife team to have sequentially numbered asteroids.