For as long as I can remember; since my early childhood I have always found myself interested in all things not of this planet. When I was a child, every time there was a Space Shuttle launch in Cape Canaveral, my mother would record every shuttle launch on VHS and when I got home from school I'd watch it.
I have a few memories where I was so excited by shuttle launches that my teacher would actually allow me to bring the VHS cassette in to class and we'd all watch the launch. As a child, I always found the mysteries of space fascinating. Not knowing what was out there, was there some form of life on a planet somewhere wondering the same question? I'd often role play alien invasions, or alien contacts with army men and I'd build UFOs from LEGOs and I'd role play various scenarios with all sorts of outcomes.
The one thing that secured my fascination was when I was living in Victoria, British Columbia, my parents took me to the local observatory and I watched in awe, as comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 collided with Jupiter. It was amazing to think that I had just witnessed a planet getting hit by that series of asteroids, and then that started my interest in what would we do if our planet was hit.
To this day, as a 33 year old, I still look up to the stars, wondering if there's an alien life form, looking at the same stars as I am; and my interest will be getting more intensive as there is now a spaceport being built here in Nova Scotia, to launch satellites into orbit, and I hope to see a few launches.
So; how did your interest in space, the universe...everything get started?
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ThatNovaScotian
Observer
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Stellarator
World Builder
- Posts: 889
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Space; How did you get interested in it?
First off, I'd like to say hi as a fellow Canadian ThatNovaScotian!
My interest in space started when I was, well, I can't really remember - it was that long ago
. I do remember when I was very little being especially struck by the opening scenes of the old Star Wars films, when the intro fades onto a starfield. At that moment I sat there: wondering and marveling at the idea of just what alien and strange worlds, extraterrestrials and sights might be in that starscape. Thereafter, I was determined to learn all I could about space and all it contains. My first astronomy book I every had (and still have) was "Entering Space" by Joseph P. Allen. Again, as with the starfields of Star Wars, I was in awe of those grainy Voyager photos of distant worlds; my imagination ran wild. My parents were very supportive of my long-held astronomical fascination, but it was my grandfather who gave me his telescope (my first 'scope) the few days before he died when I was ten. This I also still have, along with the lenses he gave me as well.
When I was a teenager, I was into UFOlogy, but quickly realized it was not a worthwhile endeavor. I researched deep into that 'field', and surfaced again - armed with the important tools of critical thinking. My appetite for all things extraterrestrial was whetted and I wanted more concrete answers then the flimsy tapestries woven by conspiracy-theorists and whistle-blowers.
Now in my adult years, I am still an avid astronomer and try to go out every night with my 'scope - searching the stars for answers. Some answers I find in the multitude of scientific papers I read almost daily on the subject of astrophysics, astrobiology and general planetology.
My passion for astronomy is old and runs deep.
My interest in space started when I was, well, I can't really remember - it was that long ago
. I do remember when I was very little being especially struck by the opening scenes of the old Star Wars films, when the intro fades onto a starfield. At that moment I sat there: wondering and marveling at the idea of just what alien and strange worlds, extraterrestrials and sights might be in that starscape. Thereafter, I was determined to learn all I could about space and all it contains. My first astronomy book I every had (and still have) was "Entering Space" by Joseph P. Allen. Again, as with the starfields of Star Wars, I was in awe of those grainy Voyager photos of distant worlds; my imagination ran wild. My parents were very supportive of my long-held astronomical fascination, but it was my grandfather who gave me his telescope (my first 'scope) the few days before he died when I was ten. This I also still have, along with the lenses he gave me as well.When I was a teenager, I was into UFOlogy, but quickly realized it was not a worthwhile endeavor. I researched deep into that 'field', and surfaced again - armed with the important tools of critical thinking. My appetite for all things extraterrestrial was whetted and I wanted more concrete answers then the flimsy tapestries woven by conspiracy-theorists and whistle-blowers.
Now in my adult years, I am still an avid astronomer and try to go out every night with my 'scope - searching the stars for answers. Some answers I find in the multitude of scientific papers I read almost daily on the subject of astrophysics, astrobiology and general planetology.
My passion for astronomy is old and runs deep.
Futurum Fusionem
Space; How did you get interested in it?
I think I got interested when either I looked at some books at the beginning of school or a class trip to a planetarium at the age of around 6 or so. I can't remember which was first but I was hooked. I was pulling things apart to see how they worked from the age of 4 so I had these sorts of interests from a very young age.
My main interests in space was history in planetary craft and missions, space telescopes like Hubble etc..
More in depth astrophysics and stuff like that came later as my understanding grew.
I had goes at trying to make my own scopes with very limited success from scarp parts as my family was poor and those things I could never afford, not even a computer until I was a teenager with my own saved money. But it didn't stop my interest in growing
I found SE via a youtube video from Anton (forget his last name) as he used universe sandbox for most of his videos and then I saw one with SE and I was like "WHAT IS THIS SORCERY!!"
Seeing those realistic graphics not so long ago blew my mind. I had no idea anything like SE was possible, let alone actually existed.
And here I am.
My main interests in space was history in planetary craft and missions, space telescopes like Hubble etc..
More in depth astrophysics and stuff like that came later as my understanding grew.
I had goes at trying to make my own scopes with very limited success from scarp parts as my family was poor and those things I could never afford, not even a computer until I was a teenager with my own saved money. But it didn't stop my interest in growing
I found SE via a youtube video from Anton (forget his last name) as he used universe sandbox for most of his videos and then I saw one with SE and I was like "WHAT IS THIS SORCERY!!"
Seeing those realistic graphics not so long ago blew my mind. I had no idea anything like SE was possible, let alone actually existed.
And here I am.
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midtskogen
Star Engineer
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Space; How did you get interested in it?
My father did his master's degree in astronomy (but had other jobs for a living) and has been an astronomy amateur since youth observing variable stars, and he's built several observatories including the telescopes. So I grew up with astronomy, telescopes and observatories, but I chose a different path at university.
I stumbled upon SE in a YouTube video (quite a few years ago now), and noted the details of realism and understood that Vladimir was doing serious stuff. I also worked with 3D graphics programming in a games company in the 90's and doing something like SpaceEngine was a dream for me then.
I stumbled upon SE in a YouTube video (quite a few years ago now), and noted the details of realism and understood that Vladimir was doing serious stuff. I also worked with 3D graphics programming in a games company in the 90's and doing something like SpaceEngine was a dream for me then.
NIL DIFFICILE VOLENTI
Space; How did you get interested in it?
I think my love for Space started once I realized what my grandfather did for a living. He put people IN space! He was a machinist for NASA and was involved with many projects. One I remember quite well was the issue of heat tiles falling off the Space Shuttle. He solved that problem. He was my hero!
I realized I was extremely interested in Physical Science when I was around 15 years old, thanks to a wonderful science teacher, Mr Cornwell, that made it enjoyable and would not let us slide through class without actually understanding what it was we were learning. Other subjects like spelling and history seemed subjective to me. lol My love for the stars and planets began around the time our class was observing Haley's comet. The greenness of what I saw intrigued me.
Later in life I persued an Architectural education and career path thanks to my mother's nagging, and because as a kid earlier, I had spent many hours late at night drawing castles and dungeons and wilderness topographies for RPGs I was obsessed with. So, now I dig ditches and kiss butt for a living but my free time is spent on the computer enjoying virtual worlds of fiction or fantasy, or dreaming about exploring more of the real world.
Luckily as a kid, I also had the chance to travel alot and see most cultures and countries up close and personal, from Stonehenge to Giza, to the Colossus of Rhodes, to the Great Wall or the frozen ocean around Linengrad, or panning for gold in New Zealand. Dad was an engineer for an oil company and thank goodness, also appreciated history and travel. My dad also introduced me to Captain Kirk (my first fish's name) & Spock and Flash Gordan and salty popcorn. He took me to see the original Star Wars 6 times!!
My love and appreciation for the world and human nature really became a part of my essence. I married a beautiful black woman and love the rich culture our two worlds can bring to the table. She lets me spend hours at a time on the computer creating the things I love to imagine. I've created custom content for users to download on many software "games" from Unreal Tournament maps to SIM CITY landscapes to Never Winter Nights adventures and 3D model skins, as well as content for Celestia.
I met a nice chap online when I was asking around about gravity and how to calculate the minimum mass I could stand on, yet jump off of and not return to. (Phobos would make a nice site for future Olympic Games). Professionally he is a planet hunter. He introduced me to Universe Sandbox (boring!) and to Space Engine (life changer!). Even though SE lacks gravity and time, I really fell in love with it. I think it's been two years since I ran across it, and spend at least 2 or 3 nights a week piddling around on it.
Long Live SE!!!
whoop!
Me watching men walk on the moon (Apollo 15).
My grandfather "Rocky" crouching at wheel, with his team at NASA with the first test model of the Space Shuttle.
Papaw (wearing shorts & socks hiked up, in the front) taking the CEV CM out for a spin with his buddies at NASA.
BTW, there are NO aliens out there.
I realized I was extremely interested in Physical Science when I was around 15 years old, thanks to a wonderful science teacher, Mr Cornwell, that made it enjoyable and would not let us slide through class without actually understanding what it was we were learning. Other subjects like spelling and history seemed subjective to me. lol My love for the stars and planets began around the time our class was observing Haley's comet. The greenness of what I saw intrigued me.
Later in life I persued an Architectural education and career path thanks to my mother's nagging, and because as a kid earlier, I had spent many hours late at night drawing castles and dungeons and wilderness topographies for RPGs I was obsessed with. So, now I dig ditches and kiss butt for a living but my free time is spent on the computer enjoying virtual worlds of fiction or fantasy, or dreaming about exploring more of the real world.
Luckily as a kid, I also had the chance to travel alot and see most cultures and countries up close and personal, from Stonehenge to Giza, to the Colossus of Rhodes, to the Great Wall or the frozen ocean around Linengrad, or panning for gold in New Zealand. Dad was an engineer for an oil company and thank goodness, also appreciated history and travel. My dad also introduced me to Captain Kirk (my first fish's name) & Spock and Flash Gordan and salty popcorn. He took me to see the original Star Wars 6 times!!
My love and appreciation for the world and human nature really became a part of my essence. I married a beautiful black woman and love the rich culture our two worlds can bring to the table. She lets me spend hours at a time on the computer creating the things I love to imagine. I've created custom content for users to download on many software "games" from Unreal Tournament maps to SIM CITY landscapes to Never Winter Nights adventures and 3D model skins, as well as content for Celestia.
I met a nice chap online when I was asking around about gravity and how to calculate the minimum mass I could stand on, yet jump off of and not return to. (Phobos would make a nice site for future Olympic Games). Professionally he is a planet hunter. He introduced me to Universe Sandbox (boring!) and to Space Engine (life changer!). Even though SE lacks gravity and time, I really fell in love with it. I think it's been two years since I ran across it, and spend at least 2 or 3 nights a week piddling around on it.
Long Live SE!!!
whoop!
Me watching men walk on the moon (Apollo 15).
- Me watching men walk on the moon (Apollo 15).jpg (208.14 KiB) Viewed 11722 times
- 267523_10150309266641206_2986982_n.jpg (58.82 KiB) Viewed 11722 times
CPU: AMD FX-8350 8 core processor 4GHz / GPU: GeForce GT 730 @ 1920x1080, 60Hz with 1GB adapter RAM / RAM: Patriot Signature 4GB 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 (only 2GB work, don't buy it) / Motherboard: MSI 970 Gaming MS-7693
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Watsisname
Science Officer
- Posts: 2318
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Space; How did you get interested in it?
My interest in astronomy began when I was very young. I remember seeing the images of the outer planets taken from Voyager and being captivated. It was amazing to me that there were other worlds out there, so different from our Earth, and each other. I think I got to know all the solar system planets (back then including Pluto) by heart when I was 4.
My parents got me a small telescope when I was 8 and I immediately set it up and looked at the stars. We lived just outside of Washington DC then, so the sky was quite bright and there was not much to look at. Naturally one of the bright "stars" I happened to look was the planet Saturn. So there I was: an impressionable 8 year old kid pointing at random objects in the sky and accidentally finding Saturn, that beautiful little golden orb, rings and all, which I had seen in plenty of photographs but now there it was, the real thing floating right there in the eyepiece. Of course I was hooked.
My parents got me a small telescope when I was 8 and I immediately set it up and looked at the stars. We lived just outside of Washington DC then, so the sky was quite bright and there was not much to look at. Naturally one of the bright "stars" I happened to look was the planet Saturn. So there I was: an impressionable 8 year old kid pointing at random objects in the sky and accidentally finding Saturn, that beautiful little golden orb, rings and all, which I had seen in plenty of photographs but now there it was, the real thing floating right there in the eyepiece. Of course I was hooked.
Space; How did you get interested in it?
For me the interest is not space alone, but everything that has to do with nature. (Biology, chemistry, physics and so on.) Of course astronomy too. And math. However, But I never had the opportunity to deepen my education accordingly.
And when? As far as I can remember, always. (This is for me already a pretty long time.)
And when? As far as I can remember, always. (This is for me already a pretty long time.)
JackDole's Universe 0.990: http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=546
JackDole's Archive: http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=419
JackDole: Mega structures ... http://old.spaceengine.org/forum/17-3252-1 (Old forum)
JackDole's Archive: http://forum.spaceengine.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=419
JackDole: Mega structures ... http://old.spaceengine.org/forum/17-3252-1 (Old forum)
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ThatNovaScotian
Observer
- Posts: 15
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- Location: Nova Scotia, Canada
Space; How did you get interested in it?
WOW!!! Thank you so much for sharing those pics! That is amazing! Your grandfather was an awesome dude. It was my dream to work at NASA and become an astronaut. While that will never happen, I am glad I found SE because now i CAN be an astronaut and wear next to nothing doing it and no one will ever know.hahaha.I think my love for Space started once I realized what my grandfather did for a living. He put people IN space! He was a machinist for NASA and was involved with many projects. One I remember quite well was the issue of heat tiles falling off the Space Shuttle. He solved that problem. He was my hero!
I realized I was extremely interested in Physical Science when I was around 15 years old, thanks to a wonderful science teacher, Mr Cornwell, that made it enjoyable and would not let us slide through class without actually understanding what it was we were learning. Other subjects like spelling and history seemed subjective to me. lol My love for the stars and planets began around the time our class was observing Haley's comet. The greenness of what I saw intrigued me.
Later in life I persued an Architectural education and career path thanks to my mother's nagging, and because as a kid earlier, I had spent many hours late at night drawing castles and dungeons and wilderness topographies for RPGs I was obsessed with. So, now I dig ditches and kiss butt for a living but my free time is spent on the computer enjoying virtual worlds of fiction or fantasy, or dreaming about exploring more of the real world.
Luckily as a kid, I also had the chance to travel alot and see most cultures and countries up close and personal, from Stonehenge to Giza, to the Colossus of Rhodes, to the Great Wall or the frozen ocean around Linengrad, or panning for gold in New Zealand. Dad was an engineer for an oil company and thank goodness, also appreciated history and travel. My dad also introduced me to Captain Kirk (my first fish's name) & Spock and Flash Gordan and salty popcorn. He took me to see the original Star Wars 6 times!!
My love and appreciation for the world and human nature really became a part of my essence. I married a beautiful black woman and love the rich culture our two worlds can bring to the table. She lets me spend hours at a time on the computer creating the things I love to imagine. I've created custom content for users to download on many software "games" from Unreal Tournament maps to SIM CITY landscapes to Never Winter Nights adventures and 3D model skins, as well as content for Celestia.
I met a nice chap online when I was asking around about gravity and how to calculate the minimum mass I could stand on, yet jump off of and not return to. (Phobos would make a nice site for future Olympic Games). Professionally he is a planet hunter. He introduced me to Universe Sandbox (boring!) and to Space Engine (life changer!). Even though SE lacks gravity and time, I really fell in love with it. I think it's been two years since I ran across it, and spend at least 2 or 3 nights a week piddling around on it.
Long Live SE!!!
whoop!
Me watching men walk on the moon (Apollo 15).
Me watching men walk on the moon (Apollo 15).jpg
My grandfather "Rocky" crouching at wheel, with his team at NASA with the first test model of the Space Shuttle.
267523_10150309266641206_2986982_n.jpg
Papaw (wearing shorts & socks hiked up, in the front) taking the CEV CM out for a spin with his buddies at NASA.
1969120_10152209689971206_1747855772_n.jpg
BTW, there are NO aliens out there.
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Hornblower
Pioneer
- Posts: 595
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Space; How did you get interested in it?
For me, I began being interested in space sometime in elementary school. There was just something about it that absolutely fascinated me. My parent got me a big picture book for Christmas. It had large pages filled with various astronomical pictures of planets, nebulae, and galaxies. I was hooked. The book came with this video that I must have watched at least 50 times:
[youtube]EIxAPFYDsnQ[/youtube]
It's a pretty great space showcase that starts at earth and journeys off into the universe. It's not too long, and you should give it a watch if you have the time. Definitely had the visual aspect to keep me interested as an elementary school kid.
[youtube]EIxAPFYDsnQ[/youtube]
It's a pretty great space showcase that starts at earth and journeys off into the universe. It's not too long, and you should give it a watch if you have the time. Definitely had the visual aspect to keep me interested as an elementary school kid.
"Space is big. Really big. You just won't believe how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space." - Douglas Adams
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default0.0player
Space Tourist
- Posts: 30
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Space; How did you get interested in it?
I got interested in space because life on Earth is too boring
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Stellarator
World Builder
- Posts: 889
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- Location: Sagittarius A*
Space; How did you get interested in it?
I certainly hope that you are joking here. Although there are various and wondrous vistas available on the planets of our solar-system and perhaps beyond, no environment in doubtless several cubic light-years will match the awesome complexity and variations that are present here on Earth. This is especially true if no alien life is present in our solar-system or any other solar-systems close by, since our biosphere is amazingly rich. No other planet has quite the same variety in climate-zones and surface materials of gas and solids. Several come close or even surpass us in certain regards - but none are better than Mother earth - for the time being.I got interested in space because life on Earth is too boring
Futurum Fusionem
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default0.0player
Space Tourist
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Space; How did you get interested in it?
I'm joking, sorry if my words offended you(or others).I certainly hope that you are joking here. Although there are various and wondrous vistas available on the planets of our solar-system and perhaps beyond, no environment in doubtless several cubic light-years will match the awesome complexity and variations that are present here on Earth. This is especially true if no alien life is present in our solar-system or any other solar-systems close by, since our biosphere is amazingly rich. No other planet has quite the same variety in climate-zones and surface materials of gas and solids. Several come close or even surpass us in certain regards - but none are better than Mother earth - for the time being.I got interested in space because life on Earth is too boring
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Stellarator
World Builder
- Posts: 889
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Space; How did you get interested in it?
Yeah, I figured that you wrote in jest. No worries, I wasn't offended
.Futurum Fusionem
Space; How did you get interested in it?
Since 3rd grade, I've loved looking at the stars, eclipses and birds! And then got hooked on photography!
Space; How did you get interested in it?
My story is quite simple - I saw a movie called Alien and decided that it might be cool to be a colonizer of unknown planets(but without that part when alien got on the ship and everything went to hell) 
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