Star men with passion for the skies that's out of this world

Geoffrey and James open up on their love of Moffat observatory and the glorious skies above

- LES SNOWDON

There can't be many brighter stars in the Dumfries and Galloway galaxy than James Paterson and Geoffrey Lindop.

Both speak with sparkling smiles, and a luminosity in their eyes.

Geoffrey seems the more extrovert. He wears a bold, astronomical tie - and a mischievous grin.

The writer and author hails from Lockerbie, but his brain spends a lot of time among the stars.

"I always tell people I dressed in a rush," says Geoffrey, lifting his tie to better see the galaxy stretching from his neck to his belt. "I just threw this on, I will say. I didn't plan-et!"

There are flashes of fun in what James has to say, too. But he has the look of a man who is happiest when analysing and charting.

Trim and compact, octogenarian James looks 10 years younger. He has the bearing of a man who could carry out an audit and draw up a report in a flash.

Two very different souls, but with the same mission.

"It's about getting more people interested in the skies," explains James as he walks past a parade of telescopes, through the wooden office area into Moffat observatory's dome.

This is where the galaxy-gazing "rock star" is housed.

"When visitors to the observatory look through this, they just go 'wow'!," says James, pointing to the eyepiece on a blue barrel pointing at the sky. "They can see rocks on planets in detail."

The Meade 16" telescope has the light gathering capability that brings nebulae and supernovas into view.

And visitors from across our planet make the journey to the modest wooden hut, with its green dome, sitting in a field at the end of a track just off the Old Carlisle Road.

Stargazers from as close as just over the field in Moffat Academy and as far away as California have gasped at sights on the Moffat skyline.