David Berish BIO

My name is Dave Berish, 64 years old and a life-long resident of Hazleton, PA, except for my stint in the U.S. Navy in the early 1980s.  A graduate of Penn State (class of 1977), I served in the Navy as a supply office aboard the USS Nassau (LHA-4). After leaving the service, I worked for the U.S. Postal Service until my retirement in 2011. 
My interest in astronomy, the space program, and science in general goes back to my days in elementary school in the early 1960s.  At that time, the space program was just getting going with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. And sci-fi movies like `Forbidden Planet’ and `Destination Moon’ were fascinating entertainment for a young impressionable mind.
With so much space adventure in the news, and in the entertainment industry, almost on a daily basis, it inspired me to look up at the Moon, the planets, the stars & constellations in wonderment.  I read everything I could find about astronomy, including science-fiction topics about space travel as well, gradually learning about galaxies & nebulas, comets, meteors, planets, stars, and the Universe in general.    
My early astronomy years consisted of naked-eye and binoccular views of the Moon, and whatever looked interesting to me.  My first telescope, a Tasco `department-store’ scope, (haven’t we all had one of those at one time or another) with a rickety tripod did open up viewing the planets to me.  My first views of Jupiter and Saturn were jaw-dropping for me.
Since then, I’ve owned an 8-inch Meade Dobsonian, a small Orion tabletop reflector, a 4-inch Meade reflector, and my current favorite is my 10-inch Orion GoTo Dobsonian.  I like the simplicity of Dobs for ease of setup and ease of use.  I enjoy exploring the features of the Moon with my Dob, as well as seeking out deep sky objects. And hunting down asterisms is a current passion of mine.  
One thing I’ve learned is that no matter what type of scope you have or use, the quality and variety of your eyepieces is paramount to your enjoyment of this hobby.  Oh, and being a member of an astronomy club will add much to your learning, experiencing, and enjoyment of this hobby. I’m a relative newcomer to the Greater Hazleton Area Astronomical Society, joining in March of 2019. Since joining, my astronomical fun & experiences have grown exponentially.  I look forward to many more nights under dark skies with my astronomical friends.