Lynn Hilborn ’69

Lynn Hilborn ’69 reaches for the stars. But, unlike most folks, he captures them.

At 70, Lynn is deemed to be among Canada’s top five amateur astrophotographers, an epithet bestowed by former SkyNews editor and astronomy sage, Terence Dickinson. So fabled are Lynn’s heavenly night sky images that NASA has selected his work three times as online picture of the day viewed by 1.5 million followers. He is also on the SkyNews masthead, and his exquisite photos of the cosmos are published internationally and collected in his book, Time Machine.

His passionate role as an astrophotographer is somewhat a departure from a prolific career, first as executive director in the office of Ontario Premier Bill Davis. That 10-year stint was followed by 23 years with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the final decade in the role of deputy general manager.

Keeping more than 1.5 million TTC riders moving daily was stressful with little sustained sleep, recalls the jocular father of three and grandad to four.

Lynn decamped from the rigours of mass transit in 2008 and moved to Grafton near Cobourg, Ontario, with his wife, Margaret.

“I was a stranger to sleep when I retired,” he says. “So what do I do? I take up a hobby done at night.”

He became enthralled with the beauty, colours, and mystery of the infinite galaxy and felt a spirited tug to interpret the universe on his own terms and through his camera lens.

“I didn’t know much about photography,” he says. “I just knew I wanted to do it.”

Early in the millennium, technical strides in digital photography and supporting computer software accelerated almost daily. Lynn began modestly, building his backyard WhistleStop Observatory, whimsically named for its proximity to a nearby train track crossing. As his interest and expertise grew, the sophistication of his equipment and images followed exponentially.

Self-described as more an artist than scientist, Lynn’s virtuosity is evident when one sees his Under the Belly of the Milky Way shot in Chile’s Atacama Desert. Ditto with the metaphysical wonder of his 6 Planets photographed in Florida, which captures Earth, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter in framed perfection.

His stunning astrophotography explains his wonderment with the planets that populate the endless sky.

“There is an ethereal connection to the cosmos,” he says. “The remains of ancient stars are the genesis of everything on earth and in our bodies. We really are made from thermal nuclear waste. However, I prefer the more poetic notion that we’re made from stardust.”

The man with the dry wit says one of the signposts that guided his professional and extraterrestrial journey is clearly marked St. Andrew’s College.

“I wasn’t doing well in early public board high school, and the College had a great reputation, so my parents enrolled me as a boarder,” he says. “I had varied interests and was a student militia reservist and cadet in Toronto. St. Andrew’s encouraged those interests.”

Lynn excelled in the School’s Cadet Corps program, achieving the rank of captain and company commander in his final year.

“I had wonderful teachers who fostered my interests, including radio and science,” he says. “My physics teacher, Fred Hiltz, and chemistry teacher, Geoff Smith, were among the staff who were a great boon spurring interests beyond school.”

He gives an appreciative nod to English teacher, Robert Wilson, who encouraged his writing.

“The educational side taught me how to be flexible and savvy. We often had to create our own fun, and that allowed the creative spirit to blossom,” he says. “St. Andrew’s gave me an avenue to express my interests and that built confidence in the ventures I took in life.”

Lynn remains true to St. Andrew’s. He attended his 50th reunion last spring along with his 25th and 35th earlier, in addition to Homecoming in 1998.

“The one thing St. Andrew’s needs is an astronomy program,” he proposes.

Classmates, Jim Gear and Rob McEwen, remain close, with the former being his best friend and the latter “a great St. Andrew’s benefactor” and pal who bought several copies of his book and gifted them to friends at Christmas.

Lynn’s interest in astrophotography prompts people to ask him whether he believes life exists outside our earthly realm. He defers to the late astronomer and author, Carl Sagan. “He said it doesn’t matter because it’s remarkable either way.”

Lynn’s website with photos can be found at www.nightoverontario.com.