About Gerard van den Braak

My name is Gerard van den Braak, builder and owner of Pollux Sterrenwacht in Zuidlaren, the Netherlands.
My interest in astronomy began in 1961, when I learned to recognize the first constellations during my time in the scouting. That interest remained dormant for many years, until the booklet 'Sterrenkijkers zelf maken' by Theo Vermeesch rekindled the fire. I built my first (eyeglass‑lens) telescope. I took a mirror‑grinding course and came home with a beautiful 11 cm Newton mirror, around which I built a telescope. I made the mount using worm gears taken from the windshield‑wiper motors of a VW Beetle. It proved to be a successful combination that gave me a great deal of pleasure. Thanks to a fixed pier in the garden, I could set up the telescope quickly: stored indoors, easily placed outside. That same pier still stands there today. Still, I had little desire to carry all the equipment outside each time. That is why, in 1986, I began building my own observatory, an observatory that, more than forty years later, is still in use. With this website, I want to take you along on that journey: from the first eyeglass‑lens telescope to modern digital astrophotography. The photos collected here form a personal chronicle of wonder. They show how a hobby can grow into a lifelong source of inspiration. I hope this is not only a record of my own path, but also an invitation to look for yourself, and to learn to discover. The starry sky is there for everyone who is willing to look up. Please reach out to me with feedback, comments, questions and suggestions.