William Samson

In 1976, Samson went on to study at Heriot-Watt University where he obtained his MSc in Computer Science.

"[1] William Samson's earliest fascination with the skies came when he was seven years old and his mother took him outside to point out great winter constellations like the Plough and Orion.

Another inspiration was his music teacher at Forfar Academy, Willie Bernard, who took the class on a trip to the Mills Observatory.

"[2] Bill then aged 12 went back home with great fascination of the celestial constellations and built his first telescope using old spectacle lenses scrounged from an optician in Forfar, that he put into a cardboard tube.

The fourth one he built from scratch by grinding a disc of plate glass to make a mirror.