I grew up in central Bulgaria in the picturesque town of Veliko Tarnovo, better known as the “City of the Tsars”, as it was the medieval capital of the country. My interest in astronomy started at the age of fifteen, after reading popular books about the exploration of the solar system planets and how life might have formed and evolved on Earth. 

    While at the gymnasium, together with other pals keen on astronomy, we established the first astro-club in our town. This was also motivated by our desire to take photographs during the then approaching total solar eclipse, visible from Bulgaria on August 11 1999. The time spent at the astro-club and gymnasium influenced my decision to later pursue physics and astronomy studies at the university. I left Veliko Tarnovo at the age of nineteen and since then lived in Sofia (Bulgaria), Heidelberg (Germany) and Exeter (UK).

    Outside of science I enjoy spending time with my wife and two kids, listening to music, reading books and watching sports. I also enjoy having good time with friends, exploring new places and taking pictures of the night sky with my backyard telescope.