Who or what inspired you and why?

[meteoriot]

Hi all,

There doesn't seem to be an appropriate category for this but it would be very interesting to know the big picture. The more the Merrier!

Who or what inspired you and why? What topic of astronomy (from imaging to cosmology) is your passion and why? At what age did this amazing subject take hold of you and where has it led you over the years? If your still a newcomer or have a reignited interest like myself where do you hope or expect it will take you?

Richard

[ZEbbEDY]

Patrick Moore what a total ledge

i got a cheapo scope as a nipper for crimbo and a patrick moore book. Also watching him on sky at night and gamesmaster

[Chris Stacey]

I was never what you would call a sci-fi kid, or interested in the night sky really, until I was 16 and fishing with my dad. My dad is a very down to earth person, and matter of fact, if he can't see it, or science hasn't proved it then he's not interested in entertaining a speculative thought. Whilst fishing though we see what I now believe to be a normal satellite passing over......but as both of us knew anything about them at the time it left us a bit bewildered.....but I looked at the skies with new eyes after that night, and couldn't stop looking.........In my late teens and early twenties I was fascinated with the whole ufo phenomena (ducks at the fruit being thrown at him) ....read everything I could on the subject, particularly be people like Vallee....but by my mid twenties I had kinda come full circle with that subject, fed up with the same old camp fire stories and second hand accounts....or people mistaken 'fact' from the subjective nature of it....and the whole topic had become a money making racket anyway...although interesting research in plasma was coming to light too....so I still keep a passing interest. So I moved to astronomy. Bought my first scope in 2001, and haven't looked back...(only up).

[twotter]

I was born in 1969 so have felt a certain affinity with the first Moon landing for some reason, and I've always liked looking up at the Moon. I've seen a couple of Sky at Nights over the years, remember the first flight of the Space Shuttle, but it was really seeing the stars out of my kitchen window that started me looking up a few years ago. Simple views of Orion led me to get a pair of binoculars and after a year of using those my 40th birthday in 2009 saw me receive my Skyliner 200P dob.

Haven't looked back since

I prefer visual astronomy and I hope to continue enjoying the night sky for many years. In time I'd like to tick off all the Messiers and the Lunar 100 too, but I'm not in any great rush.

On the kit front I want to keep upgrading my collection of EPs and I would also like to try a goto mount, and perhaps a TAL100RS too

[nicnac]

it was the night sky itself for me, in fact it was that very thing that got me into scifi too

[Orion_the_Hunter]

I was given a book when 6/7 years old called 'Secrets of the Sky', loved that book. I remember being mesmerised by a picture of the Crab Nebula in it.

Since then I've always looked up, interested in what 'that is' in the sky.

Got my first 'real' telescope this year.

[tbird]

It was the Ladybird book, The Night Sky, that sparked my interest, but it was only this year I got a telescope and started getting serious about astronomy.

[Holderness]

Being a child of the 60's, I've always been fascinated by space. I remember huddling round a small B&W TV anxiously waiting for Neil Armstrong to emerge from the lunar module.

As I entered my teens I read Sci-Fi novels Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clark, James Blish which made me look to the skies. The more I looked the more awestruck I became. It has however taken me until this year to byuy my first scope after my interest was peeked again by the Stargazers Live program.

[RogerTheDodger]

^^same here pretty much

[MrsR]

Stephen Hawkings for me a his book "A Brief History of Time" started me off.

[MissMessier]

My mother is a keen astronomer and I have always been surrounded by astronomy books and received a nocturnal education under the stars by her. I used to stay up and watch The Sky at Night with her and adore Sir Patrick. I have read A Brief History of Time too, and will be going to study Physics and Astronomy at UCL.

[yeti monster]

Observing is my passion, imaging is a bit of fun really. I've always been interested in astronomy, I guess the Apollo missions set that off for me. Physics and mathematics were some of my favorite subjects at school, although I hated school (evil teachers did that to me). Watching the Skt at Night on TV since being a wee pup, Star Trek and '50s Sci-fi movies, the usual I guess.

My favourite (related) books being 'the first three minutes' by Stephen Weinberg (why do I never hear anyone mention this one? aside: when I went to witness the total eclipse in WuHan, I met a chap from Nasa, who just gave me a very puzzled look when I mentioned this book and its author...???) and 'a brief history of time' by, well every one knows who don't they...

[tibbs1972]

I've always been interested in science and sci-fi, since I was a kid.

Most nights I have looked up at the stars in wonder, since as far back as I can remember.

The thing that tipped me over the edge was the stargazing live program. It just made me think "It's about time you got a telescope", so off I toddled to the shop and purchased my first proper scope in January this year.

I havn't looked back since. I am out in the backyard every night I can be, observing. My only regret is not doing something sooner.

[meteoriot]

Great response so far thank you. I've always been fascinated since camping as a child and looking at the night sky for hours in 'wonder'... but somehow I got distracted in my teens. Almost two decades later that 'wonder' returned tenfold (partially I must admit due to Brian Cox) but now I can combine that childlike curiousity with my recently discovered ambition and desire to take it further. After all of the documentaries watched and books read (cosmos next) It's still early days for me, I wish I was 16 (at 30) but I am still proud to have finally found my passion and to have already met some great peeps at my local observatory. I dont know where this will all take me but next stop is the open uni... Happy times. Great community here

[Veracocha]

The night sky in Dumfries & Galloway back in November. I went to the dark site (didn't know at the time) birdwatching and looked up at the sky at about 4 am. Never seen anyting like it. Got my binoculars out and gazed until daybreak.No matter how hard I try I can't explain what I saw. Now I'm on my third telescope.

[solarwallace]

We had an encyclopaedia when I was a kid. I seem to remember being about 5 and just being mesmerised by the pictures of the ancient civilisations and also by a man standing on the moon. Still the two things I'm most interested in: history and space.

[vulcan]

I was an avid Dan Dare fan both in The Eagle and on Radio Luxemburg in the early '50s - then I discovered an old book at home with a diagram of the Solar System and recognised the words "Mercury" and "Venus" from the stories in Dan Dare and I was hooked. After that, it was 'Sky at Night' and anything I could get my hands on about 'space' - fact or fiction.

[peter shah]

It was the Ladybird book, The Night Sky, that sparked my interest, but it was only this year I got a telescope and started getting serious about astronomy.

Me too...i still have mine....i was only six after looking through this book it showed a pic of how a telescope was made....so i made one out of a toilet roll and my mother specs....she wasnt very pleased...but she got me my first telescope for my seventh birthday...

[Viv]

Interesting thread

For me have always been interested (but don't know why).

As a few others Stargazers live & the wonders series, made me realise I now have a bit more time on my hands & wanted a scope.

Now have had my scope for 7 weeks & loving it.

[yeti monster]

... it showed a pic of how a telescope was made....so i made one out of a toilet roll and my mother specs....she wasnt very pleased...but she got me my first telescope for my seventh birthday...

Your plan worked then!

[Rusty Strings]

Gerry Anderson, Nasa, Patrick Moore

[glowjet]

First passion Space Travel while at school, v/good Science teacher, leading to Astronomy with PM in the early years of TV.

[BigTfromNotts]

The Apollo 11 mission and the first men on the moon, did it for me. In the sixties when I was a child, space travel was in its infancy and an exciting concept. It monopolised TV, whenever there was a manned space launch by the US. I would sit for hours glued to the TV watching it.

Those broadcasts were my introduction to the legend himself - Sir Patrick. Altogether, these events ignited my interest in astronomy.

Cheers

Tony

[Luke]

I was inspired by a £35 telescope in the camera shop Jessops!

I just wondered what you can actually see through telescopes, and at that low price it seemed worth a try!

One of the best £35's I've ever spent!

What I love most at the mo are galaxies, I hope my journey will take me to learning more about galaxies and taking tons of images of them!!

What about yourself?

[nightfisher]

for me it started with patrick moore sky at night as a young kid, then later a really good friend mark humby got me into buying my first scope seeing his home made 8"newt