Re: what was the trigger?


Brian Tung wrote:
Some of us have been interested in the night sky for as long as we can
remember, but others of us can remember a moment when it all started.

When 4 years old I used to wander out a small pasture while my parents
slept, lay back on an old concrete cistern top, and gaze at the night
sky for hours. I truly felt the stars pulling on me like magnet.

The area was certainly not rural, it was surrounded by small lot
residential developments. There simply wasn't any light pollution then!
Only a few people had gas lights, and nobody left outdoor electric
lights on all night, so the view was fantastic.

Interest once waxed and waned a bit, primarily due to cars and girls,
but the pull of the stars never really left me. When leaving my
parents home I moved to an area that had 7th magnitude skies. The sight
of the heavens was truly invigorating! That was twenty years ago, now
NELM is 4.5 on the best of nights. As the light pollution continues to
increase, the pull doesn't feel as uplifting as it used to.


Doug Kniffen

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