M.J. Johnson’s interest in the night sky was kindled by early astronomy teachers, but it wasn't until he found himself living in Northern California in the late 1990s, where luck and geography provided access to skies swimming in deep sky delights. He became involved in the local astronomy scene, joining the Peninsula Astronomical Society, attending lectures and meeting his scientist heroes at Foothill College, the University of California at Berkley, and up on Mount Hamilton at Lick Observatory. Mr. Johnson moved to Massachusetts in 2006, and became further involved in local astronomy clubs. He is a regular attendee of the Public Lectures at the Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, and has attended meetings of the Aldrich Astronomical Society at Anna Maria College. His passion for the night sky has taken him on journeys to Mouna Kea, Hawaii, the Aricebo radio telescope in Puerto Rico, and most recently, to the Great Smokey Mountains of North Carolina where he fulfilled a lifelong dream to observe a total solar eclipse.