Up to Speed

I got into amateur astronomy in the summer of 2007 at my girlfriend's suggestion. I joined the Chapel Hill Astronomical Observation Society, did a lot of reading, and ended up buying a used Orion 8" Dobsonian made in the late 90s, when Orion was still outsourcing them to Discovery in the US. For me, it was the perfect first scope.

I had a blast right off the bat and got more involved. I learned a ton from other club members and became very inspired by what they were doing. A mere 9 months after getting started, I purchased a used Starmaster 18. I love this scope and have been blown away by what I've seen. Next week at MASP, I will have my first opportunity to use it from a good dark site, which should be very exciting.