I have been interested in science my entire life. My first telescope was a Sears brand 75 mm refractor with cheap eyepieces, and an even cheaper clock drive. (circa 1970) I can remember sketching the moon and planets on freezing cold Chicago winter nights in my rather spacious Chicago suburban backyard and looking in utter awe at the firmament above me that God has gifted us with. As time went on I decided that I wanted to be an Astronomer until I rather disappointedly discovered that Astronomers actually spend very little time observing behind the eyepiece. As time went on, and the years flew by I knew in the back of my mind that I had deeply missed the science that kindled my interest in the major sciences. I also knew that I would one day be driven back to it like a duck to water. Well here I am back with a vengeance and a thirst to discover that same firmament that held me spellbound as a child. My goal is to image every single object in my Meade Hand-controller catalog and share my observing sessions with my fellow backyard amateurs and professionals alike.I imagine that this may take me the rest of my life but hey, what better way to spend the nights than looking up?
Yours in Science,
Ray
Fountain Hills Observatory 