Albert Fisher of Los Angeles, California, spent the night of October 4, 1957, wondering whether he would see Sputnik, the world's first artificial satellite. At age 16, he had helped start one of many teams of amateur scientists working through the Operation Moonwatch network, initiated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory to help track satellites.
The group spotted the Soviet satellite and helped pinpoint its location with relative accuracy for the 1950s. Participants tracked the satellite's locations by recording the time as it passed through the viewfinders of their carefully positioned telescopes.
Fisher joined other I-Reporters, including an Apollo 14 astronaut, in responding to the 50th anniversary of Sputnik's launch. Many shared stories and photos of how they were inspired by this starting point in space exploration and the "space race" between the United States and the Soviet Union. Some said this event had a profound effect on their own lives. Finding Sputnik gave Fisher recognition in the local media and caused him to change his career plans. 
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