From a young age I have been fascinated by astronomy and space travel. After my high school, during college, and for some years after that, my astronomy interests have remained dormant. A few years ago I picked it up again with much enthousiasm. On this web site I have gathered some information about a few subjects that I have come across while making myself proficient in this fascinating hobby.

My most important telescope is a Celestron C8 from 1992, mounted on a Vixen Sphinx SXW German Equatorial Mount (GEM). This telescope has a Schmidt-Cassegrain optical system, consisting of a large main mirror in the back, and a corrector plate with an embedded secondary mirror in the front. It has a primary mirror of 20cm (8 inch) in diameter. This type of telescope is characterized by its compact size, its long focal length and its relatively large aperture. It has many qualities that make it an almost ideal general-purpose telescope. The Vixen Sphinx mount is a compact GoTo mount with an innovative design and an versatile, easy to use "star chart" controller. The combination of a C8 and a Vixen Sphinx is a powerful combination that is very transportable, is quick to set up, and has great optical qualities.

Some time ago I acquired a William Optics Megrez 80-II ED triplet APO. This is a high quality, compact 80mm Apochromatic telescope with very good optics. This telescope can be mounted on a photographic tripod, but also fits my Vixen Sphinx mount. Because of its great optical quality, the William Optics Megrez 80-II ED is a pleasure to use, and a good "grab-and-go" scope.

Wanting to become an Amateur Astronomer?

If there is one tip I would like to give someone who is interested in amateur astronomy as a hobby, it's this one: Visit your local amateur astronomy club, astronomical society or public observatory and become a member. They are a great place to meet other, more experienced, amateur astronomers, and make it possible to exchange information, enjoy observing sessions, and test different types of (expensive!) astronomy equipment before buying your first telescope.

I'm a member of the Rijswijk Public Observatory (Sterrenwacht Rijswijk), an enthousiastic group of amateur astronomers.

Via the "Astro Stuff" page, you can access all kinds of amateur astronomy related information I gathered and wrote articles about. English is not my native language, but because of the international nature of people visiting this site, all of the contents is in the English language.