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way.  I enjoy observing with Bob Newman.  He knows a lot. And of course Becky.  Now I seem to be enjoying observing with friends much more than before.

What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen through a telescope?
M51 the Whirlpool Galaxy.  The majesty of those spiral arms reaching out through space, just wrapping around… it is hard to put in to words.

What do you enjoy looking at the most? Messier objects, galaxies, variable stars etc.? 
I really like globular clusters but M51 through a 20"scope is awesome.  In the city I like to view Saturn.

What has proved to be your most elusive target?
SS Cygni took me the longest to find for the first time, but most elusive would have to be the last four Messier objects that I need to finish up my certificate.

Have you ever done any astrophotography or imaging?  What kind of equipment did you use?
Not much, I have piggybacked some astro photos and taken some hand held pictures of Jupiter and the moon.  I tend to enjoy active viewing more than passive viewing.  I want to see it now.

Beyond basic equipment, what three things do you always take with you when observing?
That would be binoculars, table and chair, and a good planisphere.

What is your favorite constellation? Star?
Oh, Sagittarius, no doubt.  It is so chocked full of beautiful things.  My favorite thing in Sagittarius is M22, a naked eye globular cluster.


Do you think there is life, as we know it, out there somewhere?  Do you think we have ever been visited from beyond?
I wouldn't be surprise either way.  We just don't have enough data one-way or the other.  There is this formula that they use to determine how many

stars there are like ours, how many have solar systems, how many could support life,,, but we really don't know.

Of what practical use is Astronomy?

It is just so cool to understand what you see when you look up - everything from the sunrise to the Earth's shadow.  On a more practical level, when I was orking at Sky Designs a knowledge of astronomy assisted in the selling of telescopes. That was a practical use.

What does looking up into the night sky (through a telescope) do for you?  What do you get out of it?
It helps satisfy my inquisitiveness.  I would rather look up through my telescope and see a fuzzy ball for myself that see the same image with much greater resolution on a picture taken with the Hubble.  Outside on a clear night is where it's at!

Who is your "star hero"?
David Levy.  He manages to be both amateur and professional, at the same time. He has done so much to bring better Astronomy to the amateur.  I have met him.  He got me interested in variable stars especially SS Cygni.

Complete this sentence "Every amateur astronomer should…?"
…  see the whole sky before they die.  Not just the sky we see every day but the skies of the southern hemisphere as well.

If you only had one night left to observe the sky, what objects would you want to see for the first time or to view again?
I would love to look up and see M51 right overhead.