LumpyDarkness
sage
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 459
Loc: San Francisco bay area
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Its been ages since I subscribed to either Astronomy or Sky and Telescope. Kind of lost interest in them, but now I'm feeling like picking one and trying it again.
So, I want to see which would be more to my liking, and hence, an couple questions or so. Maybe some chatter about it will help others too...
Which magazine do you subscribe to?
What sort of observer are you? Deep sky, lunar and planetary (and solar)? Both? One more so than the other, almost to the exclusion of the other?
Are you a backyard observer? Or do you travel to observing sites? If you travel, how far are you willing to travel, just local sites - like an hour or less, or the major "local" star parties? If you travel distance, is it 2.5 hours or so, or do you dive six or more hours? How far would you drive once a year for a star party?
About the mags, what is it you like about the one you subscribe to? Or, do you subscribe to both? I'm not including Amateur Astronomy magazine in this, although it is a great magazine, its circulation is pretty well known. I'm interested in seeing what sort of astronomy enthusiast pays for which magazine, and why..... I want the one that most caters to my interests....
Thanks!
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Mark Wagner
Adventures In Deep Space
NGC/IC Project
Deep Sky Observing Blog
SF Bay Area Observers - TAC
San Jose Astronomical Association
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deepsky
sage
Reged: 12/04/05
Posts: 245
Loc: oregon
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Even though you are not including Amateur Astronomy magazine in your question, it is still my favorite. 
This last issue had Howard Bannich (sp?) discuss doing the "Dim & Dimmer" Oregon Star Party challenge list along with his sketches in his 28". The magazine is for observers and ATM-ers.
Otherwise, I prefer S&T to Astronomy magazine. Sue French's column is the first article I read, while Astronomy magazine has way too much cosmology focus for me.
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jim jackson
Finished!
Astroleague Galaxy Groups and Clusters # 21 Manual
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Aldebaran
super member
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 121
Loc: Turku, Finland
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I haven't subscribed to any astronomy magazine...yet. Though my local astronomy club in Finland has subscribed to Sky and Telescope, so I can read the magazine in the observatory of the club.
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Juha
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Instruments:
10'' Newton
4'' Lens
3'' Lens (RFT)
7x18 Binos
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[url=http://juhansivut.pp.fi/Astrosketching/[/url]
Celestial Sphere -Arctic amateur astronomy-
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LumpyDarkness
sage
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 459
Loc: San Francisco bay area
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Quote:
I haven't subscribed to any astronomy magazine...yet. Though my local astronomy club in Finland has subscribed to Sky and Telescope, so I can read the magazine in the observatory of the club.
That's a response I didn't expect to get!
But you first two respondents didn't answer the other questions....
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Mark Wagner
Adventures In Deep Space
NGC/IC Project
Deep Sky Observing Blog
SF Bay Area Observers - TAC
San Jose Astronomical Association
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Kaizu
sage
Reged: 08/17/07
Posts: 460
Loc: Finland
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Neither S&T nor Astronomy. The Finnish national amateur astronomy club URSA is publishing the "Tähdet ja Avaruus" magazine. It includes more affair and less advertaisements compared both mentioned magazines. The quality is at least equal, maybe better and the most important, it's written in Finnish.
I'm mostly DS-observer
I'm a travelling backyard observer. I have my own backyard dome and I'm partisipant in few observatory projects.
They all are inside 100 km radius from my home, ca. 1h driving to one direction. Finland is so small country (1300km long) that I can partisipate any star party in the country. It takes max. one day to drive through the country.
The magazine question I already answered.
Kaizu
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TAL250K
Losmandy G-11 Gemini
Bino's 23x135
Some thoughts are so wise that they don't make me laugh
http://www.kaiforssen.fi
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esd726
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/30/04
Posts: 731
Loc: Howe, IN
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Astronomy and S&T both. Why, because I just have for as long as I can remember. I like them mainly for the observational parts, not too thrilled/interested with all the cosmology theory stuff. Some of the articles that AREN'T observational, per se, are nice though.
So mainly observe DSO, some planets, rarely moon. I observe 100% from yard/deck. Have never been to a star party. If I had to travel not sure if I would still be into this  hard telling. I WOULD like to go to the SH some time to observe, or at least alot further south in the NH. I think it would be GREAT if there was a magazine ONLY about observing, no theory, no astrophotography info, no ATM, etc. just visual observing and what goes along with that  If they had that and same quality/size of the two major ones I would pay for that in a sec.
Edited by esd726 (10/21/07 06:41 PM)
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LumpyDarkness
sage
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 459
Loc: San Francisco bay area
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Quote:
Astronomy and S&T both. Why?
I am interested in whether one or the other of those magazines has stronger appeal to deep sky enthusiasts, and if it makes a difference whether they observe mostly in their backyard, or travel to darker skies....
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Mark Wagner
Adventures In Deep Space
NGC/IC Project
Deep Sky Observing Blog
SF Bay Area Observers - TAC
San Jose Astronomical Association
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esd726
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/30/04
Posts: 731
Loc: Howe, IN
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Quote:
Amateur Astronomy magazine
Never heard of this. Where is it from? Is it like the other two("REAL" magazine) or like a "homemade" sort (kind of like Deep Sky was)? Sounds interesting 
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No more scopes :-(
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6968
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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"Which magazine do you subscribe to?"
I used to alternate between Astronomy and S&T but haven't had either for a while, and don't plan to subscribe again (unless there's an electronic version available).
"What sort of observer are you?"
Lunar, deep sky and solar.
"Are you a backyard observer?"
Yep, 100%.
"How far would you drive once a year for a star party?"
I wouldn't.  (My rural sky is really good.. why leave? )
Star parties never interested me, but I wouldn't mind spending a week at one of those astro-vacation places... you know, the ones where you rent one of their scopes for the duration.
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Carol Lakomiak, Tomahawk WI
Writing Sky at Night magazine's astrosketch page since June 2009
Moon Sketch Tutorial
Sun/DSO Sketch Tutorial
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
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Aldebaran
super member
Reged: 09/30/06
Posts: 121
Loc: Turku, Finland
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This will be an accomplishment to my last post in this thread!
I'm mostly visual deep sky observer, and I unfortunately live in a city (called Turku), though it's rather a small city (like all cities in Finland) but it's still big enaugh to produce too much nasty light pollution and that's why I do my observing sessions in the rural countryside of Turku. My rural observing site is about 30 km (about 18 miles) south of Turku.
And added to this, I usually participate a star party couple of times in year. As Kaizu wrote in his message, Finland is a rather small country, so it's possible to me to participate all the star parties I want to.
About the two major magazines, I prefer Sky and Telescope, because it's more amateur astronomy oriented than Astronomy, which is more like a popular science magazine (just like the Tähdet ja Avaruus in Finland mentioned by Kaizu in his post).
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Juha
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Instruments:
10'' Newton
4'' Lens
3'' Lens (RFT)
7x18 Binos
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[url=http://juhansivut.pp.fi/Astrosketching/[/url]
Celestial Sphere -Arctic amateur astronomy-
Edited by Aldebaran (10/21/07 06:58 PM)
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palsing
sage
Reged: 08/11/05
Posts: 240
Loc: Poway, CA
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Star parties never interested me
Well, if you have never attended a star party, either a big one or a little one, maybe you don't know what you are missing.
I have been to many dozens of star parties all over the Western US and also in Australia, and I have always had a great time, making new friends and renewing old friendships. It doesn't matter what the weather brings, that only tends to put a little more emphasis on the Party aspect of the event.
You should try one.
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Paul
25" Obsession
5.5" Newt - finder (Cometcatcher)
Hutech 22 X 100 binos w/LPS-P2 filters
Canon 10 X 30 IS binos
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LumpyDarkness
sage
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 459
Loc: San Francisco bay area
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Quote:
Quote:
Amateur Astronomy magazine
Never heard of this. Where is it from? Is it like the other two("REAL" magazine) or like a "homemade" sort (kind of like Deep Sky was)? Sounds interesting
Worth the meager bucks if you like an amateur magazine by and for amateurs:
http://www.amateurastronomy.com/
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Mark Wagner
Adventures In Deep Space
NGC/IC Project
Deep Sky Observing Blog
SF Bay Area Observers - TAC
San Jose Astronomical Association
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LumpyDarkness
sage
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 459
Loc: San Francisco bay area
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Quote:
Star parties never interested me
Tsk tsk Carol!
If you're social enough to post on an international forum, you'd probably have a great time at a star party!
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Mark Wagner
Adventures In Deep Space
NGC/IC Project
Deep Sky Observing Blog
SF Bay Area Observers - TAC
San Jose Astronomical Association
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GeorgeNC
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/26/07
Posts: 1181
Loc: Land of the Sky, North Carolin...
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Right now I subscribe to both mags. I'm an old (66 years) newbie (first telescope two years ago), so I'm still on the steep learning curve. Like Sue French's column - bought one of her books from Amazon a couple of months ago. Attend our local club's star party once a month, and view from my back yard (or side yard if I want a different part of the sky) several times a month. Would love to travel to several dark sky sites over the next couple of years - wife and I considering an RV for that purpose.
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Celestron C11 on CGE Mount
Stellarvue 80mm Nighthawk II
W.O. Flt110 on CGEM
Canon 40D (Hap Griffin modified)
Orion StarShoot Autoguider
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Steve Darden
sage
Reged: 07/29/07
Posts: 474
Loc: Woodstock, GA
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Jim, thanks for letting us know about Amateur Astronomy Magazine. I hadn't heard of it before. After looking at the website, I decided to buy a year subscription.
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C8, SV102BV (LOMO lens), 15X70 AP binoculars
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 6968
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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Quote:
"You should try one."
"Tsk tsk Carol!"
Thanks, but I have everything I need right here.
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Carol Lakomiak, Tomahawk WI
Writing Sky at Night magazine's astrosketch page since June 2009
Moon Sketch Tutorial
Sun/DSO Sketch Tutorial
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
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edosaurusrex
sage
Reged: 01/30/07
Posts: 371
Loc: Ft Worth, TX
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I don't subscribe but buy issues "a la carte" when there are articles that interest me (about 2 a year). I get Sky & Telescope 99% of the time.
I spend cloudy nights perusing "Cloudy Nights" and generating my lists and calendars.
Besides at CN I don't have to wade through gizmo ads to get to the fun stuff.
Ed K
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esd726
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/30/04
Posts: 731
Loc: Howe, IN
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Quote:
Thanks, but I have everything I need right here.
Same here 
(also getting out to observe, FOR ME, is a time to GET AWAY from people, noise, "life", etc.)
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No more scopes :-(
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LumpyDarkness
sage
Reged: 08/06/07
Posts: 459
Loc: San Francisco bay area
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Quote:
Quote:
Thanks, but I have everything I need right here.
Same here
(also getting out to observe, FOR ME, is a time to GET AWAY from people, noise, "life", etc.)
As the saying goes, different strokes... I suppose if you have dark skies already, there's less incentive to go to a dark sky star party. But, still, meeting the other observers you talk to in venues like this one, seeing and trying other equipment, sharing and comparing views, there's a lot that goes on at the star parties. They are quite fun events.
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Mark Wagner
Adventures In Deep Space
NGC/IC Project
Deep Sky Observing Blog
SF Bay Area Observers - TAC
San Jose Astronomical Association
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Dave Mitsky
Postmaster
Reged: 04/08/02
Posts: 24600
Loc: PA, USA, Planet Earth
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I am primarily a deep-sky observer but I engage in almost all of the other observational aspects of amateur astronomy.
I conduct solar, lunar, and planetary observing from my residence.
The ASH Naylor Observatory is about 20 minutes away but the skies there have been seriously degraded by light pollution over the past 15 years. There is a private observatory that I visit occasionally which is a 25 minutes drive in the opposite direction. The skies are somewhat darker there.
ASH members have access to a number of gated observing sites that are between 50 and 80 minutes distant. The two farthest are fairly good dark sites. There are also several ungated areas within an hour's drive.
I regularly travel to Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania's Dark Sky Preserve, which is a journey of about 3.5 hours. Occasionally, I'll join some other local hard core observers at Spruce Knob and other sites in West Virginia that require 5.5 to 6 hours driving time.
I regularly attend local and regional star parties and have driven to the Florida Keys for the Winter Star Party. I've also flown to Arizona and New Mexico to stay at astronomy bed & breakfast establishments.
The farthest I've journeyed to observe has been to the Altiplano of Bolivia.
I receive Amateur Astronomy, Astronomy, Sky & Telescope, and The Reflector. In the past, I also subscribed to the StarDate magazine.
Dave Mitsky
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Chance favors the prepared mind.
A man is a small thing, and the night is very large and full of wonders.
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