I do not remember exactly when I started being interested in astronomy, but I was still living at home with my parents and one day started observing the moon with a spotting scope, which I found in our attic. Since I continued doing so for quite a while with constant excitement, my parents decided to buy a telescope for me and put it under the Christmas tree in 1999 (actually they put it next to the tree because it was quite big). Observing the moon through this telescope started my fascination for astronomy, which has never vanished since, albeit being sometimes more and sometimes less intense for more than a decade now.
With my first telescope, I have observed the moon and was even more fascinated by the sight of planets like Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. However, I never got as far as observing real deep sky objects (DSOs), mostly because my university studies did not leave much time to expand my knowledge and skills to the necessary level, but in part also due to the fact that my equipment was not best suited to advance easily. Recently, I decided to have another go and try to make astronomy a more serious hobby. I bought a new telescope and already in the first night I could spot my first DSO, the star cluster M13 in the constellation Hercules!
I want to share my experience with others on this website. I hope that it will be a useful source of knowledge especially for beginners and hope that the information provided here will inspire others and help to get more out of their hobby. Clear skies!