Re: what started it for me

Started by macdonjh, 10/14/2013 04:38PM
Posted 10/14/2013 04:38PM Opening Post
Most every boy in my school was interested in space or dinosaurs. I was interested in space. Instead of knowing the name of each dinosaur by looking at a photo (I knew several, but not all), I knew all the planets and how many moons had been discovered orbiting each one. I was really interested in quasars, since they were the brightest, most powerful things in the galaxy at that time (boys are always interested in the biggest, strongest, brightest...).

Fast forward to 2005. One of our neighbor's kids is selling magazines to raise money for her school and I subscribed to Astronomy (still do). Trying to relive a bit of my youth, I guess. Then I see the Teaching Company's advertisements and order Alex Fillipenko's course. Then I spend the next three months learning about commercial telescopes and mounts. "Santa Claus" left a 4" Mak under the tree for our family. My two kids were interested for a while (my daughter inherited the Mak, my son has a 6" Newtonian), but not so much any more. I'm the one with two mounts and four scopes now.