Christopher Go, an amateur astronomer since 1986 and a renowned astrophotographer since 1990, is from the island of Cebu in the Philippines. His astronomical journey began in high school with the last apparition of Halley’s Comet, using just a 10x40 binocular. In 1988, Christopher co-founded the University of San Carlos Astronomical Society and witnessed his first total solar eclipse in Davao City that same year.
In 1990, he acquired his first telescope, a Meade 2080LX5 Schmidt-Cassegrain, which launched his deep dive into astrophotography. Over the years, Christopher upgraded his equipment, acquiring a Losmandy GM8, a Celestron C8, and an SBIG ST7 CCD camera in 1995, followed by a Ceravolo HD145 Maksutov-Newtonian in 1996. By 1997, he had invested in an Astrophysics AP130 EDF refractor and an AP900QMD mount, setting the stage for his serious astrophotography endeavors.
Christopher's planetary imaging began in 2003, and he quickly made a major discovery in 2006 when he observed that Jupiter’s Oval BA had turned red. This led to him joining a research team, including Dr. Imke de Pater and Dr. Phil Marcus, which used the Hubble Space Telescope to image the phenomenon. His work with Jupiter continued that year when his team used the W.M. Keck Observatory, the largest telescope in the world, to image the conjunction of Oval BA and the Great Red Spot.
Christopher's contributions to astronomy extend beyond imaging, as he co-authored a paper on the NEB revival in *Nature* in 2008 and another *Nature* paper in 2011 related to the Cassini Spacecraft. In 2015, the International Astronomical Union honored him by naming asteroid 2000 EL157 as 30100 Christophergo, a recognition of his significant contributions to planetary science.
Currently, Christopher continues his astronomical pursuits using a Celestron C14 telescope on an AP900GTO mount, paired with a QHY290M camera, pushing the boundaries of planetary imaging from his home in Cebu.
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