Wayne’s interest in the skies began when he saw the rings of Saturn as a teenager. He then became an amateur astronomer, licensed pilot and Air Traffic Controller. He first experienced the wondrous night skies of Ghost Ranch in 1982, when he was a participant in a course titled “Exploring the Cosmos.”

Following that experience Wayne accepted an invitation to teach astrophotography as part of that workshop throughout the 80’s. Then, after dealing with a very challenging personal situation, he began contemplating life’s meaning. Following a period of revealing and illuminating insights, Wayne led retreats in order to support those who wished to consider some of the deeper aspects of life.

More recently, Wayne has been teaching digital astrophotography at the Ranch. With the offering of Contemplative Astronomy, he is very enthusiastic about supporting participants in the exploration of our universe, potentially providing a greater receptivity to inspiration as well as a possible shift in perspective.

Wayne Brasure’s passion for amateur astronomy and astrophotography was inspired by childhood summers spent under the dark skies of northern Michigan. He explored astrophotography as a high school student and purchased his first “serious” telescope after graduating from college. Wayne has undergraduate degrees in physics and astronomy, graduate degrees in nuclear engineering, and taught physics and astronomy at the USAF Academy in the early 1990s using the Academy observatory’s 16 and 24 inch telescopes and early digital cameras. He rekindled his interest in astrophotography upon moving back to New Mexico in 2018 and setting up a backyard observatory. Wayne is excited to share his experiences in digital camera night sky photography and telescopic astrophotography.