I have been interested in observational astronomy for almost thirty years. I can't remember what triggered my interest; it may have been the moon launches during the seventies. Regardless, I was hooked and when my parents gave me my first telescope (a Tasco 2.4 inch refractor) I made my first observation - a bright star with many planets or companions circling it! Alright, it was Jupiter and my journey had begun. I recall watching the total solar eclipse that was visible in Canada on February 26, 1979 on my television (too cloudy outside) and taking photographs with my father's new Polaroid instant camera.
Looks something like my old Tasco! Bet this kicks up a few memories...
In 1986, I observed the return of Halley's Comet and contributed to the International Halley Watch. This event marked the first time I had any success with astrophotography. In fact, one of my all-time favorite shots was taken on March 13, 1986 when the temperature was -32 C. I piggybacked my Pentax K-100 camera on the back of my old Meade 2080, opened the lens and got an awesome picture of the Sagittarius star cloud and surrounding region. Now, I have a Meade LX200 Classic permanently mounted installation in a modest shed in my backyard. I'm not a skilled carpenter (one just has to look at the workmanship), but the structure is dry, secure and offers shade for the streetlights and shielding from the wind. I've moved from a Meade 208XT CCD camera to the new DSI-C. My telescope is computer-controlled and I usually operate it from the warmth of my office or while lying comfortably on my bed. Boy, things really have changed for our hobby!
