| family name | Kayser |
| given names | Rainer Gerhard Norbert |
| date of birth | December 24, 1957 |
| place of birth | Hamburg, Germany |
| nationality | German |
| family status | married |
| children | Jacqueline, born February 27, 1989, in
Toronto,
Canada Michelle, born June 15, 1992, in Hamburg, Germany |
| 1976, June | Allgemeine Hochschulreife (matriculation standard) |
| 1982, July | Diploma in Physics, University of Hamburg |
| 1985, April | Dr.rer.nat. (Ph.D.), University of Hamburg |
| 1992 | Akademische Lehrbefähigung, University of Hamburg (Certificate of academic teaching qualification) |
| September 1, 1982 - April 14, 1985 | pre-doctoral research fellowship (half-time) under grant of the German Science Foundation (DFG) Hamburger Sternwarte, F.R.Germany |
| April 15, 1985 - September 30, 1988 | post-doctoral research fellowship under grant of the German Science Foundation (DFG) Hamburger Sternwarte, F.R.Germany |
| October 1, 1988 - September 30, 1989 | NATO research scholarship granted by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) CITA, University of Toronto, Canada |
| October 1, 1989 - May 31, 1990 | post-doctoral research fellowship under grant of the German Science Foundation (DFG) Hamburger Sternwarte, F.R.Germany |
| June 1, 1990 - March 31, 1992 | post-doctoral research fellowship under grant of the BMFT (Federal Science Department) Hamburger Sternwarte, Germany |
| April 1, 1992 - March 31, 1998 | scientific assistent (with teaching obligation) University of Hamburg Hamburger Sternwarte, Germany |
| NOW | free lance science writer |
| 1973 - 1981 | Chairman of the amateur astronomical society Volkssternwarte Norderstedt |
| 1982 - 1983 | Lecturer at the Volkshochschule Norderstedt (University extension) |
| 1986 - 1988 | regular lectures on astronomy at the Volkssternwarte Norderstedt |
| since 1985 | free-lance writer topics ranging from astrophysics, space research, and high energy physics to computer technology and medicine |