How I became an astronomer
It is quite normal, that physicists are fond of astronomy.
But my parents, both enthusiastic sailors, taught me the Northern hemisphere constellations already when I was a school boy.
While studying physics my interest in astronomy grew: The German annual book 'Himmelsjahr' was read every year and
I shot my first lunar and solar eclipse with an analog SLR-camera.
Together with some fellow students we participated in a 5-day-seminar on stellar life hold by Prof. Dr. Rudolf Kippenhahn.
Sleeping for a couple of years my interest awoke again April 4th1996,
when I filmed a lunar eclipse with a webcam through a binocular.
August 11th 1999 I drove south, almost into France, to observe the total solar eclipse - magnificent!
I recorded the Venus transit June 8th 2004 with my first digital compact camera and projection method.
Early 2006 I purchased a 'better' digital compact camera with 12x optical zoom: 'Canon Powershot S2 IS'.
And in a clear sky full moon night I shot, just for fun, the moon, some constellations and M44 - that was the break through!
Looking for some other astronomy nuts to learn from, I found the local club 'Volkssternwarte Ennepetal e.V.'.
February 2007 I bought a second hand Meade LX90 8" telescope from a member of our club.
During the annual meeting January 2008 I was elected as 'manager' (= Geschäftsführer), a great honor!
Finally (?) November 2009 acquired a 'better' camera, a Canon DSLR.
This is the story how I was infected by astronomy. Anything else could be found at projects.