Early Love for Astronomy
I have been an amateur astronomer and nature lover since I was a child. I was fortunate to grow up in a rural area with dark skies where we could lie on our backs on summer evenings and admire the Milky Way. My father had a cheap Tasco refractor, but I can only remember blurry looks at the moon in it. However, it was the space age and the launch of the Apollo missions and in particular sending Neil Armstrong to the moon captured my imagination and I credit it with causing me to fall in love with astronomy.
Becoming a Self-Taught Astronomer
I always enjoyed studying the stars and admiring the heavens, but school and then seven years of college kept me very busy. I did not choose astronomy as my career path and I am not a professional astronomer, but over these many years of assiduously studying the stars, reading astronomy and physics books, and learning as much as possible about astronomy, I would call myself an autodidact astronomer.
My First Telescopes
I bought my first telescope in 1994 when I finally could afford one, a small 4″ reflector on a wobbly equatorial mount, and later a classic 8” Dobsonian, and after that the iconic Meade ETX 90mm Maksutov-Cassegrain. After moving to California to advance my career, I had little time for late night astronomy, but I never lost my passion for astronomy and I always made time to watch meteor showers, comets, lunar eclipses, and other astronomical events.
Launching Tsula’s Big Adventures
It was only once I retired that I have been able to devote my full attention to my passion for the stars, and that’s when I launched my YouTube Channel, Tsula’s Big Adventures, which is mostly about astronomy, how to get into the hobby, help for beginners with advice on buying telescopes and learning the stars and constellations, tutorials on setting up equipment and finding objects in the night sky, and basic astronomy for anyone interested in getting started in this awesome hobby, and even some more advanced subjects involving astronomy. I also showcase places people can visit to experience dark skies and star gaze. I continuously strive to learn more so that I can spread my knowledge with others who share my passion for exploring the universe.