Astronomy intrigued me as a child in the 1970's after my parents gave me a 60mm department store refractor. While earning a B.S. Astronautical Engineering degree at the USAF Academy in the 1980's, I took all the available astronomy courses which included using a 24" Cassegrain. Developing plate photography was my favorite part--counting photons my least favorite...

I went on to fly F-15C's in Okinawa, Japan and F-16's in Las Vegas (RED FLAG Aggressor) and the USAF later sent me to Ohio to get an M.S. Aeronautical Engineering degree which coincided with the arrival of comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. This prompted me to buy a Meade 90mm ETX. The views were so good that I returned to the hobby. Astrophotography had always impressed me, so during Test Pilot School in 1998 I purchased an 8" Celestron FASTAR SCT & SBIG ST-237 CCD and thus became hooked. After test flying the F-16 in the Mojave Desert, I went on exchange with the RAF in Wiltshire, England and test flew Tornado, Jaguar, Hawk, Alpha Jet, and a bit of backseat Harrier. I then lived under clear New Mexico skies test flying the F-15C & AT-38B, but now live in Colorado teaching Aero Engineering & flying cadets in the T-41 at the USAF Academy. I recently sold my high-end equipment for a portable DSLR setup to spend more time with my family.

There is no conflict between God and science. He is the amazing author of it all--gravity, electro-magnetism, thermonuclear fusion, etc. We don't fully understand His universe, but it sure is fun exploring it!

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