Space Talkers 02 | Stargazing, Total Lunar Eclipse, and Astrophotography w/ Andrew Abban & Thorne Ransom

This week on Today In Space, we are joined by Astrophotographers Andrew Abban (@apa_astro) & Thorne Ransom (@ransomobservatory on Instagram) — for Space Talkers 02! We were live on social media and Andrew, Thorne, myself, and the chat discussed Stargazing and all-things space. Other moments from the podcast: • Experiencing the total solar eclipse in 2024 • Chasing the aurora borealis in 2025 • Capturing our latest astronomy photos • Capturing the Total Lunar Eclipse in 2026 • Breaking down what Artemis II means for the future of human spaceflight What does it feel like to stand under totality when day turns into night? What does it take to photograph deep space? And why is Artemis II such a critical mission for NASA and the future return to the Moon? Artemis II will send astronauts around the Moon for the first time since Apollo.  If you love astronomy, NASA missions, astrophotography, or just talking space — this one's for you. Thanks for joining us. Let's dive in. Timestamps: 04:09 Introduction Andrew Abban & Thorne Ransom 07:15 IRL Stargazing, Total Solar Eclipse, Live Streaming my Telescope 10:10 The Chat joins the Podcast LIVE 11:12 Alex discusses his Vespera 1 Smart Telescope & custom setup 12:45 Childhood & Early Experiences with Space & Stargazing 15:30 Custom telescope rigs, clear weather(?), and manual astronomy 17:45 Stargazing & Mental Health 19:07 Andrew Abban's Custom Telescope Gear Setup 21:51 Thorne Ransom's Custom Telescope Gear Setup 24:27 Looking to advertise jobs on Today In Space? Email us [email protected] 26:09 The intensity of capturing a Total Solar Eclipse with custom manual telescope 29:25 Shout out to @Bostronomy Matt Schricker & IRL Star-parties 33:09 AG3D Lab's 1st AI for 3D Printing coming out soon! Join our newsletter 37:16 How we plan to observe the night sky all night 44:53 How much harddrive space is on the Vespera 1 Smart Telescope? How big are the image files? 48:09 Sharing our latest Astrophotography in 2025/26 50:34 Post-Processing Astrophotos 52:34 3D Printing & Astrophotography 55:00 Cherry Springs Star Party - Will it Happen This Year? 57:30 Total Lunar Eclipse 2026 Viewing TIps 01:03:00 2015 Total Lunar Eclipse 01:04:51 We're going back to the Moon with Artemis 2! 01:07:28 Starship & What Needs to Happen for A Moon Landing to Succeed 01:08:13 The Power Spaceflight Resuability 01:09:19 What is the Artemis Program, really? 01:11:54 Moon To Mar? Moon? Mars? 01:14:06 Astronomy & Community 01:15:45 Private Companies & NASA Since the Beginnging, And Orion Type A Mishap 01:17:00 New NASA Leadership gives us hope...