Lawrence first became interested in astronomy when he was a small boy, around the time of the Apollo Moon landings.

He used a copy of the Times Night Sky to locate Saturn and now supplies the monthly chart for the same guide.

[citation needed] After gaining a degree in astrophysics from the University of Leicester, Lawrence moved into software development and was the director of a computer software company called Data Graphic Applications Limited for many years.

Examples included the Lunar Parallax Demonstration Project and a capture of the shadow cast by the planet Venus.

[9][10] Originally observing from his home in Selsey, West Sussex, Lawrence moved to Thornton in Leicestershire in 2019.