Astronomy Enthusiast Shares His Love of the Stars

Photo of stars taken by astronomy enthusiast Xie Shijie. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

You could say Xie Shijie is a star-chaser – the 29-year-old man has captured thousands of star movements with his camera in the past few years.

Xie, a native of Chaozhou, in the eastern part of South China's Guangdong province, first developed an interest in astronomy when he was in primary school.

"I saw the Big Dipper after I read a book about stars in the four seasons. I was so impressed by the night sky," Xie said.

Since then, Xie's often gone on a balcony late at night, watching the night sky over his head.

Photo of stars taken by astronomy enthusiast Xie Shijie. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Watching stars helps us stimulate interest in science and develop a more open mind in our lives," Xie said.

When he was in middle school, Xie had a bigger vision – to watch the stars with a homemade telescope, which he crafted from a lens and empty plastic bottles.

He later bought a professional telescope and a camera after graduating from college.

Photo of stars taken by astronomy enthusiast Xie Shijie. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"The sky is so beautiful at night, with stars twinkling," Xie said.

Xie selected 6,800 photos he has taken over the past few years to make a four-minute video, which won wide attention after being posted online.

In addition to taking photos of stars, Xie also took the telescope to some public areas, to allow more people to have a chance to watch the sky.

"I hope more people will develop an interest in astronomy," he said.

Photo of stars taken by astronomy enthusiast Xie Shijie. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Photo of stars taken by astronomy enthusiast Xie Shijie. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]