I (Mark) have been interested in Astronomy since my early teens when I was given a 60mm refractor for Christmas. I went on to study at the University of St. Andrews where I took courses in Astronomy and Astrophysics.

In 1999 my wife bought me a Meade 10" LX200 telescope of which I am very proud. Living in Scotland has meant that the skies are generally cloudy or (in the summer) too light to allow much observation, but I have tried to take every opportunity as it arises.

In November 2002, I purchased a Starlight Xpress MX716 CCD camera along with the S.T.A.R. 2000 self-guiding interface, and an equatorial wedge made by Brian Brooks. The resulting images have pleased me greatly and can be seen in the Astronomy Web Gallery.