Robert Gendler

Lore & Background

Robert Gendler has used CCD cameras since starting out in astrophotography and specializes in images of deep sky objects with very long exposure times. His photographs are regularly published in astronomy magazines, including Sky & Telescope and on the Astronomy Picture of the Day website. In September 2005, Astronomy Magazine cited a mosaic of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) as one of 'the most beautiful astronomical images of the past thirty years.' The image also appears in the Guinness Book of Records in 2008, under the largest image (in number of pixels) of a spiral galaxy ever. In 2007, one of his photographs of IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula, was included in one of six Royal Mail commemorative stamps, commemorating the 50th anniversary of The Sky at Night. In 2011 his image of the Pleiades appeared in a German Postal series 'For the Youth.' In 2007 he was awarded the 'Hubble Prize' at the annual Advanced Imaging Conference in San Jose California. Also in 2007 he was featured in Timothy Ferris's PBS documentary 'Seeing in the Dark.' The Santa Barbara Instrument Group (SBIG) awarded him its Award of Excellence for astronomical imaging. In 2013 and 2015 Gendler collaborated with the Hubble Heritage Team processing two Hubble Space Telescope releases (M106 in 2013 and M31 in 2015). M31 which Gendler assembled and processed (The PHAT Hubble survey consists of 7,398 exposures taken over 411 individual pointings and assembled by Gendler into a mosaic image) remains the largest Hubble image ever made. In 2019, Gendler received the Royal Photographic Society Award for Scientific Imaging, with Honorary Fellowship.

Reader's Guide

Gendler's significance lies in his pioneering use of long-exposure CCD imaging to produce deep-sky photographs that have achieved widespread recognition. His mosaic of the Andromeda Galaxy was cited by Astronomy Magazine as one of the most beautiful astronomical images in three decades and entered the Guinness Book of Records as the largest pixel image of a spiral galaxy. His work has been featured on postage stamps in the United Kingdom and Germany, and he was awarded the Hubble Prize and the SBIG Award of Excellence. His collaborations with the Hubble Heritage Team produced two major Hubble Space Telescope releases, including the largest Hubble image ever made, assembled from 7,398 exposures. His book 'Breakthrough!' was selected as an Outstanding Academic Title by Choice magazine. His legacy includes advancing amateur astrophotography to a level that rivals professional observatories.

Did You Know?

• In 2007, one of his photographs of IC 405, the Flaming Star Nebula, appeared on a Royal Mail commemorative stamp for the 50th anniversary of The Sky at Night.
• He assembled the largest Hubble image ever made from 7,398 exposures taken over 411 individual pointings.