Hi.
My name’s Adam, I’m in my late 40s, living in the UK near Nottingham – the home of Robin Hood. I’ve a beautiful wife, a teenage daughter and twin boys aged 7.
And Love The Night Sky is my astronomy blog.
I should clear up from the get go that I am no astronomy expert! But, I have been a practicing fan of astronomy since my childhood.
Even now, I have vivid memories of coming home from school aged about 10 and impressing my mum with my new-found ability to list (in the correct order, no less) the planets in our solar system.
I recall jumping from my bed at some point in the night to the thrilling discovery of Halley’s comet blurring past my bedroom window. I was only 12 at the time, so you can see how long I’ve had night sky excitement bubbling inside me! (I don’t mind telling you that I’m a little gutted that I’ll likely be dead at Halley’s next scheduled appearance.)
One frosty Christmas night, maybe 30 years ago, I stood outside the backdoor of our house with my brand new refractor and pointed it at the moon. I recall catching my breath and the stunning view of craters presented to me that night through the eyepiece.
Not long after, I was even thrilling my otherwise disinterested younger sister with the stunning rings of saturn.
I’ve owned a small refractor ever since then – but it’s spent more years living in the attic than out of it – and a collection of old astronomy books which I love for their miraculous photography and incomprehensible scales of time, size and distance.
The truth is that I had let this passion be relegated to interesting programmes like Horizon or anything with Professor Brian Cox, whilst my life has been filled with work and family. Eventually, the time came for me to make a commitment to pursue with a renewed vigour this childhood passion of mine.
I want my children to grow up with that excitement of seeing spectacular views, or hunting down their first galaxy; my oldest is not too long until she flies the nest altogether, and the boys already enjoy spying planets through my scope.
Love the Night Sky is very much for anyone in the same amateur astronomy boat that I’m paddling today.
It’s aim?
To get the very best out of a hobby that first brought me great joy over 30 years ago as a keen, inquisitive child, and does so to this very day, and to share that captivating excitement with you and anyone else wishing to explore the heavens with a long magnifying tube.
I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have.
Adam.
PS: I’m also a keen backpacker and hiker, but you can read more about over on my other website Love the Wilderness.