Having lurked this forum for a few months now, a picture is starting to form around the people here, 99% I will probably never meet (unfortunately).
So another question is well worth asking: What is your most memorable, satisfying or even exciting time in this hobby?
I'm not sure how long I've been at this myself - it must be less than a year by now. Jupiter was at Zenith by my kid's bedtime when I started. But my best experience happened just tonight.
My old man had his 67th B'day this weekend. Whilst my parents have always been together, and lived under one roof, we've very rarely got along with him. Only now that he's getting older and sicker, are the fights becoming a rarity. Last year we bought a scope for my Mum's 70th, and until very recently it went unused. Tonight I showed my old man how to use it (to the best of my "green" knowledge"), and I havent seen him this enthused in a very long time.
My Folks' house is a dark site, so it was all handed to us on a silver platter. Anything a C5 could see, we could see. The old man was blown away, and the sight of something new brought forth a flurry of questions and discussions - a level of conversation we've rarely had. Many thanks to wise IIS posts, (and Sky Safari) for filling in all the blanks
He now plans to pull this scope out any time he can, and I think he's found the first new thing in his life in a long time. So, All things considered, this has been the best time in my brief stint of amatuer astro.
Others care to share their's?