Greetings, all:
I grew up in Northern Ontario where the night sky was usually ablaze with stars; I became familiar with the constellations, learned to tell time and find direction from the sky. As a teenager, I spent months grinding a 6" mirror, only to drop it on a concrete floor at the very last test!! It's a wonder I ever got back into it. Needing a science, I took an intro astronomy course at university and became fascinated with the whole subject–the jaw-dropping distances, the inductive reasoning always opening up new discoveries. But, as so many have experienced, life got in the way of astronomy–jobs, marriage, travel, etc. I got back into it about 10 years ago with a cheap 8" Newtonian. Then a lovely WO Megrez (which I wish I still had!) I started photography with a Nikon that I already owned. I remember being astonished at what I could capture with not much in the way of specialized equipment. My first shot of M13–which I wince at now–excited me no end. And so, the endless journey began. Each year I go back to the same targets, seeing more, understanding more.
I'm currently one of the judges for SkyNews.ca, the magazine of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and so spend lots of time seeing the incredible work of others–and learning a bunch.
Also happy to be a part of this amazing community. It continually amazes me that us amateurs can reach the depth and artistry that would be unthinkable just a few decades ago.
I grew up in Northern Ontario where the night sky was usually ablaze with stars; I became familiar with the constellations, learned to tell time and find direction from the sky. As a teenager, I spent months grinding a 6" mirror, only to drop it on a concrete floor at the very last test!! It's a wonder I ever got back into it. Needing a science, I took an intro astronomy course at university and became fascinated with the whole subject–the jaw-dropping distances, the inductive reasoning always opening up new discoveries. But, as so many have experienced, life got in the way of astronomy–jobs, marriage, travel, etc. I got back into it about 10 years ago with a cheap 8" Newtonian. Then a lovely WO Megrez (which I wish I still had!) I started photography with a Nikon that I already owned. I remember being astonished at what I could capture with not much in the way of specialized equipment. My first shot of M13–which I wince at now–excited me no end. And so, the endless journey began. Each year I go back to the same targets, seeing more, understanding more.
I'm currently one of the judges for SkyNews.ca, the magazine of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) and so spend lots of time seeing the incredible work of others–and learning a bunch.
Also happy to be a part of this amazing community. It continually amazes me that us amateurs can reach the depth and artistry that would be unthinkable just a few decades ago.
