To whom do you owe most, and why?

[iPeace]

When it comes to astronomy, who / what has made the biggest difference for you?

[Stu]

SGL. Learnt more from here in the last 5 years than the previous 10 years fumbling around, literally and metaphorically in the dark!

The downside is that it has helped me spend a lot of money!

[HowardHopkinson]

Patrick Moore and Carl Sagen were my two biggest influences. It was them that made me the asronomy geek I am today.

[Astro Imp]

To start my interest Sir Patrick and his S@N programmmes and his commentary on the Apollo missions.

To help enjoy my scope, the good people here at SGL.

[andrew s]

Dark rural skies when I was young - Andrew s

[Peter Drew]

The Natwest Bank whilst running my business as a telescope manufacturer! but originally the early Sky at Night programmes and of course Sir PM. Since "retiring", being responsible for the running of the Astronomy Centre and laterally participating in this forum has kept me on my toes.

[Tim]

Somebody I knew from online gaming, started with astronomy. Sort of making fun of him a bit I took a 30 sec exposure with my little Kodak digicam of the night sky, and presented it to him. He looked at it, and said somethung along the lines of, "There's Jupiter, Saturn, a comet, etc etc". Another gamer was party to the newsgroup conversation, and was reminded that he had  a Meade LX90 or something, and promptly put a picture of M13 up. My interest piqued, I asked about it at a LAN party, saw the Horsehead nebula, and well  that was it.

Just needed to know what was up there, and how easy it is to bring it into the living room I guess.

But I owe the most to the bank. Why? Astrophotography

[David Smith]

I was lucky enough to have family members encourage me at an early age, particularly my parents who bought me my first scope and my uncle who loaned me his scope for a period of time which sealed the deal for me. After that SGL, learnt a ton since joining (and still learning), had a load of encouragement and gained a heap of enthusiasm

[laudropb]

Sir Patrick Moore and the Apollo landings when I was just a school boy. I drifted away from the hobby for many years though I was always an armchair fan reading many books. Then about 3 years ago I came across this very website. The rest is history as they say.

[BeanerSA]

My youngest son. When he was 12 years old he asked for a telescope. I knew nothing about astronomy, which is a bit embarrassing as I have always been interested in science/engineering. I knew he would look to me to guide him, and I needed to get up to speed fast. It's been a wonderful journey so far. 

[pipnina]

This guy:

 

And Brian Cox with stargazing live & I think it was called "Wonders of the solar system"

 

[Physopto]

My father who was a Captain at sea. He used to tell me about the stars when out in the garden at night. Then Patrick Moore. But mostly my wife, who suggested we should do something together after I retired. Astronomy was her idea. 

Derek

[bomberbaz]

Star Trek, then later Star Wars and other like minded programmes. Why, it fueled a very imaginative young child to think of what must really be out there byond our own solar system.

That imaginative mind is still there although a little older but it is still fueled by the what is out there question and the more questions I ask myself, the more I want to know.

[darthvader]

Paula Radcliffe

[Robp]

My other half. She got me a telescope as a Christmas gift even though I'd never thought of buying one.

Without that random gift I wouldn't be a part of this great hobby.

[ShrewView]

My parents and Halley's Comet.

When I was young my parents bought me a cheap telescope to see the moon with and I remember nights sat at the bedroom window with a scope pointing out of the window. It got my interest but when I tried it on the planets and other things I found it wasn't that great, so they bought me something a little better.

Around about that point Halley's came along and that was that.

One of my ambitions is to see Halley's return. 2061 ish I think? Not long now!!

[Putaendo Patrick]

My Latin teacher at school when I was about 13 or 14 formed a group of pupils to watch and record sporadic meteors in the 1970s. I think it was part of some big project to use volunteers, but I don't remember now. He showed us how to find our way round the sky, the planets, constellations (and their myths) etc. It was great fun and I guess something stuck!

I also remember my mother waking me up in the middle of the night to watch the first moon landing. Our black and white TV was always on the blink and the picture was terrible. (It was rented, and I think you had to feed it with coins!). At the time, I just wanted to go back to bed...

[iPeace]

7 hours ago, darthvader said:

Paula Radcliffe

Indeed.

[MAN or ASTROMAN]

Patrick Moore on the 'S@N' of course, But I'm also indebted to H.A. REY, his book 'The Stars,a new way to see them' was the first 'proper' Astronomy book that I read (aged ten),and it taught me to recognise the Constellations.

And since my return to the Astronomical fold in 2012,it has to be the SGL Community for teaching me so much more about so many aspects of the subject.

[jason.p]

On here, AndyH, who patiently went through setting up my TAL2, my first scope, which I didn't have a clue about. If i hadn't managed to get it sorted i think it would have gone back into its "coffin" and would more than likely still be there today.

Thanks again Andy?

[todd8137]

Camping as a kid ,looking up and watching the stars pass by  then one day 11 up years ago some random guy view on his own in a car park near some fishing ponds ,pardon the pun I was hooked. From then on

of course we all watched the odd S@N ect 

[kev100]

Definitely Patrick Moore / S@N. Carl Sagan, too, and Gene Roddenbury and Star Trek for firing the imagination. More recently, the Observing reports on SGL have been inspiring, to say the least.

[Deano666]

My wifes idea to get a telescope to enjoy the stars together. However when its clear and the temp is dropping i soon find myself alone.

[wuthton]

I won't embarrass anyone by naming them but to hint at a few of the excellent contributors on SGL that have helped me immeasurably. 

Motorbike helmet, French holidays, making every photon....  and "Hello it's - - - - here from the EQmod project".

[Physopto]

1 hour ago, Deano666 said:

My wifes idea to get a telescope to enjoy the stars together. However when its clear and the temp is dropping i soon find myself alone.

Didn't even take that long. Two nights, no wine and sitting in the afternoon sun and she was off to watch her Sky!