Whats your best astronomical moment?

I was pretty much stunned to silence by the 2 blue "orb" fireballs i saw near Mars last Friday night (10:30pm approx).

Hale-Bopp back in 19??.
Solar eclipse back in 2004?-2005?
First time i saw the moon through anything other then the naked eye.
Fireballs (huge ones) over the Canary Islands about 10 yrs ago.

When I was about 13 years old and we went to Fermanagh, and it was so dark I got out my Night Sky book, and saw M31 (Andromeda galaxy) for the first time.
Also seeing a strange new sky from Australia was quite memorable.

for me it was 2 years ago. I had just purchased my 5.1" reflector from a chemist shop in Kilkenny - with no idea what I was doing. anyway I got it home and assembled it. I made an effort to set the finderscope then went out that evening to double check it. I found a bright star in the sky as it was getting dark and set it in the crosshairs of the view finder OHH my god - it was Jupiter, a stroke of luck. First object brought to focus in my scope....

Bit late for replying but what the heck...

Definately observing Saturn for the first time threw my 8" orion when i found it it was blurry but when i focused in i was blown away really as i aint doing this hobby long it was a big plus for me and second would be Andromeda under a black dark sky my first galaxy was amazing both objects had me in awe

also 2sunspots was a high for me too firts time i saw the sun threw a scope!!

Seeing Saturn (the planet....not Tony) for the 1st time about a week ago......................BLEW MY MIND.

Seeing it the second time was even better because i saw the Cassini and the rings were as different colour to the planet.

Better seeing conditions the 2nd time.

Seeing the Summer Milkyway for the very first time under complete dark skies in the summer of 1998 ...

I am with you Keith ... I was also floored by my first look of the Milky Way under very dark skies and which spanned horizon to horizon. To be totally honest, I thought there was a huge cloud at the time.