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Romantic Retrospective
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Romantic Retrospective
I feel like an astronomical Rip VanWinkle. There is no doubt that the pace of change in technology is fast and grows ever faster. Those of us “of a certain age,” find our contemporary lives routinely employ tools unimaginable to our younger selves. I took a wee break from observational astronomy for about forty years. My, how things have changed!
I spent my youth staring upwards in rapt awe through the eyepieces of various telescopes; the culmination of which was my treasured Criterion RV-6 Newtonian. It was so sophisticated that it had an electric clock drive! The memories still make me shiver. Nights were spent in a snowsuit in the backyard, where I squinted through the glare of a weak red flashlight in search of my night’s quarry using a series of paper star charts, tables and plastic constellation wheels. Aiming the scope progressed from tentatively pointing one’s finger, to optimistically using the setting circles on the mount, to recognizing “something” in the finder scope, to ultimately poking the scope in a trail from known objects toward my mysterious target. I didn’t own a camera, having spent all my money on the telescope. The “sensor” was typically my left eye. It was thrilling.
Which brings me to yesterday. I was sitting in my home office, not shivering at all you understand, and wondering what was interesting in the sky. I live in a Pacific coastal rain forest. It was drizzling outside. No matter. Stellarium showed me a lovely view from Siding Springs, Australia. Perusing the iTelescope Launchpad, I found a nice 20” f6.8 CDK astrograph was available, clearly a scope I could never own. It’s overkill really, but I indulged my inner twelve year old. I selected the globular cluster 47 Tuc; Telescopius even showing me how the image would be framed by my selected telescope. It projected excellent seeing conditions Down Under, and even suggested a window of time when my target would be highest but the moon not yet visible. I pressed “Go,” and within minutes my files were downloaded, all 24 megapixels of them.
This is crazy talk; utterly beyond the science fiction of my youth! I’m no luddite, having chatted with AI’s and been driven around by a Tesla. I enjoyed quite a “techie” career in aviation. Nevertheless, taking my eyes off astronomical technology for four decades has been astonishing. Today’s astronomy benefits from a level of sophistication that my teenage astronomer hadn’t imagined. Before we are again engaged in our headlong rush into the future, let’s take a moment to appreciate just how crazy the present already is.
It’s nice to be back.
- Dave Mitsky, scopefreak, Bob Campbell and 51 others like this
27 Comments
Delightful story! Thanks for sharing, and welcome back!
If conditions allow, you should treat yourself to a small refractor. Something that will be easy to manage, yet let you get that left-eye "sensor" back in the game. For more inspiration, I encourage you to check out the lovely "Joy of a Small Refractor" thread right here on Cloudy Nights:
https://www.cloudyni...small-refractor
Thanks for sharing! Yes, we live in a time where there have been so many technological advancements, and I've gone through much of it, having much larger scopes, doing EAA and AP over the years.
Yet, somehow I now find myself coming full circle and going back to a simple, small refractor. The thread referenced above is one I started. Give it a read through sometime. Very interesting discussions in there.
Welcome back.
This is a very nice and concise article. It's refreshing to hear your perspective of appreciating the challenges and simplicity of the past while embracing the challenges and complexities of the present.
At the dawn of the telescope, the march of astronomical tecnnology had begun. Everyone involved in astronomy beyond naked eye observing is embracing some level of technology. What level and type of technology each of us embrace in our practice of astronomy is simply a matter of choice and resources. No right or wrong answers on this subject. It's nice to hear you're once again actively enjoying astronomy.
Ah, the Rip Van Winkle effect. I do know it. A thirty year break for me that ended when I attended a public star party in 2003. Something akin to future shock occurred.
And then the next 20 years unfolded...
You should grab that old RV-6 and take it for a drive to the eastern side of those rainy Cascades and have a look through that old eyepiece.
I kinow how you feel. I got my 1st telescope in the early 1970s (The then standard 60mm Tasco Refractor on a shaky alt-az mount). There was no go-to, no internet, no astronomy clubs in central N.J. that 10 year old me knew about nor could get to. All I had were books and magazines like Sky and Telescope to guide me to objects to look at. Every new object was my own discovery
I remember standing in teh snow in the middle of winter trying to get anyone to come out and look at Orion's nebula, or Jupiter, Saturn etc...
Now these days I don't do much visual observing due to various eye problems, but I do imaging, and just came back from a 5 night trip to Big Bend area inTx. I had 2 1/2 nights of imaging. and I get to capture objects that my younger self never imagined existed even reading the books and magazines.
I can only imagine the reactions of the editors back then if we were to show what we can get with amature equipment today.
My break was about 20 years long. When I returned, having only done visual astronomy before, I was blown away by the advancement and (relative) affordability of Astrophotography equipment. I built a modest system shortly thereafter and the rest is history.
it’s a golden age of Astrophotography we’re in right now. I love it!
Honestly, it's quite overwhelming.
When I was 7, I got hooked up on sci-fi and slided into stargazing when I was 8. I was lucky to have an uncle who was quite versed into physics as well as the night sky and who proposed that we build a newtonian. There were no shops selling astro gear in my country back then (just after the fall of the Iron Curtain). You could order parts from the former USSR, but it was quite expensive.
So he brought a book on how to do that, starting with manually grinding mirrors, which we did. All in all it took a year and the result was less than perfect and to my young self it was both disappointing as well as exhilarating. Also tried building a refractor, which wouldn't been great had I not messed up the math. All in all, it still ended up with me out of the game for a long time.
My uncle died about a decade ago and didn't get to see me back looking at stars. Just this year I managed to get a proper dobsonian for my very first session in my uncle's former back yard.
Thank you for sharing the story of your star-gazing youth and the transition to the technology of today. Your words brought back memories of my nights, spent locating the more common constellations. After I began working, some 50 years ago, here in the central U.S., I bought a Dynamax 8"... it opened my eyes to the limitless wonders of the night-sky. Not long after that, my desire to capture Saturn and Jupiter on film. Back then, the most up-to-date technology was "cooled", 35mm film at the highest ISO possible. I used an off-axis guider and manual corrections to capture images of the moon, Saturn, and Jupiter. The cold nights and my efforts seemed miniscule, compared to today's smart-mounts, guiding software, and cooled, dedicated cameras. Everytime I spend a couple of nights, capturing a distant galaxy or an expanse of reflection nebula, I'm amazed at the accessibility of this technology is, if a person has the desire and extra cash. Even through a decent scope and ocular, the night-sky is breathtaking. Thank you for your story. May your nights be filled with awe and wonder.
Starmonger/Nightskyimager (Instagram)
I agree with Geekay! Welcome back - I am glad that inner 12 year old is still alive and in awe as they were when things were different.
I also have to second the small refractor comment, it is amazing what one CAN see when conditions and the culmination of sky and weather allow one to just LOOK at the wonderous heavens above. That left eye sensor will never forget and you may find yourself in a sort of "time machine"; going back to a time when the wonders first tickled your imagination!
Cheers and good skies, virtual or otherwise...
Darren
A lot has changed but I still enjoy binoculars and telescopes and star charts over sitting at the computer. Hopefully you'll be able to get some time outside.
But what do I know....I was satisfied with Hans Vehrenberg's "Atlas of Deep-Sky Splendors"....wish I still had it!
I started "looking up" in '58 - yes 1958 and I'm still at with a break or two maybe around 1965 (college and no $$$). What I miss most (about the OLD DAYS) are the DARK SKIES. I'm a "real-time" visual observer and I love much of the new technology (go-to, etc.) but for many of us "visual" guys LIGHT POLLUTION has made "backyard observing" almost impossible. And I live in a small town 20 miles north of Albany in upstate NY - far from the BIG cities. Now I have to drive 45 miles to get to a decent dark spot and even that is not all that dark and has really deteriorated in just the last couple years. But am still at it - my time running short - not giving up. And still am drawn......
Thank you for sharing your story from another astronomical Rip Van Winkle who encourages you to get a small refractor. Getting caught up in earning a living caused a long nap from looking through a telescope. Upon awakening, a small APO refractor on a lightweight battery-powered go-to Az mount has facilitated e many wonderful observing sessions with optics and technology I could not have imagined or afforded as a 12-year-old in the 70's.
Thanks!
Fred
I remember going to first grade in 1964, or was it 1965. Life seemed so simple then. It would be years before the first color TV's would show up in stores, and we got our first in 1969. It was the first signs, at least to me, of things to come.
I also remember in wanting a telescope for Christmas just after we got that color TV, but it seemed that a telescope was way to expensive for our little family of just six kids. The heavens above have always intrigued me, being outside most of the time, a lot of it under the stars.
Back in 2011, or was it 2012, I decided to finally do something about my wanting of a telescope, which had never quite ever left my mind, so I bought a 50mm guide scope and a 20mm eyepiece.
Little did I know that those two pieces of equipment weren't actually designed to work well with each other, but I "Mickey Moused" it together and could get something to focus. The following night I went out to the corner of my house, held the little scope against it's corner to steady it and... WOW. All those stars. I was hooked.
Today, some people have exclaimed... "You have more telescopes than underwear". Now that may not actually be true, but arguable non the less.
To me, everyone should own, or at least have access to a small telescope. Being alone, or with others, under the stars looking up can be a well deserved change of pace, and something that some will never forget.
Pirate Mike
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I actually had a brief opportunity to get a good look at the Moon yesterday evening, up high in the sky. I have a permanent pier out on my deck and I just took out my briefcase that stores my Orion EON 80ED and my 2X Barlow and 7-21 Zoom. Great, sharp, crisp, detailed viewing and only took about a minute to throw it on the mount have a quick look.
I also have a 40mm UWA EP for Summer sweeps and general stargazing.
My "Black Beauty". It's like an astronomical sports car.
Good to see Ya, Mark!
Thank you very much for the insight. I can hardly imagine what that feels like. I recently took a few years break myself, then decided it was time to get back into the hobby, and guess what? The landscape has completely changed.
Smart scopes like the Celestron Origin and the Seestar are a thing now. ZWO completely changed the game with everything they offer. There's so much to process!
Back in the day, I had to attach a smart remote to my Canon DSLR attached to the telescope, run PHD2 on a dying laptop set next to the telescope on a -20F winter night for guiding, and go through a cranky three star alignment procedure with a hand controller. Not to mention all the other routines that are now automated to perfection.
It truly is a golden age for amateur astronomy! The only things getting worse for us are light pollution and satellite trails.
I understand the feeling. And, I think you nailed it with the label "Rip Van Winkle." 50 years ago I wanted my own scope. But I couldn't afford one. So, I ordered a mirror making kit from A. Jaegers Optics and set out grinding and polishing a 6" f/8 mirror. Alas, when I got to the figuring stage, I discovered it to be too steep a technical hill at the time, and I packed the mirror and tool into a box in my parent's basement.
Forty years later, my Mom gave me a surprise Christmas present. A small, heavy box. What could it be? My unfinished mirror! It sat around a few more years until I could work up the courage and technical help (which I found on these very pages of CN) to finish it. That was 2018. I've finished the scope, enjoy using it, and have now moved into astrophotography.
But, back to Rip Van Winkle. Getting back into the hobby was like waking up from a 40 year sleep and finding everything strange and new. Technology is now literally at our fingertips, something generations past could only dream about. I agree with Matt Astro TX, we truly are in the "Golden Age of Astrophotography."
Wonderful. Thank you for sharing. I began looking at stars seriously as a means for navigation as a young scout somewhere around the late 1950s. By the early sixties I would answer "astronomer' when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up.
Life changes as they say. Having had the good fortune of spending time in rural areas, i never lost the sense of intrigue regarding what lay above. Stayed in touch with the navigational aids when wilderness hiking, and was acquainted with some delights through binoculars. I even attempted to get my young child involved by gifting a 4" newtonian when 8 years old.
We moved to the side of a mountain just as covid hit and bought a 8se to use in our "spare time". My how times had changed.
I recently re-gifted the 4" to my grandchildren and anxiously await their arrival next month to show them the "sights" here.
I also dusted off an old hand held I bought at a yard sale and gave it to a 14yo great nephew in law.
Thank you for prompting my walk down memory lane.
What a delightful essay! Thank you for sharing your retrospective experience of rejoining the hobby after a forty year hiatus. That's pretty cool operating a distant telescope and imaging the southern hemisphere celestial delights! Quite a leap over the horizon I'd say. You've got one on me! I've never left the hobby; been at it for sixty years last October when I got an 8x40 binocular as a birthday gift. And still, all these many telescopes later, I've never done such a thing. The closest I've come is operating my little Seestar-50 robot from the vast distance of five or six feet!
Welcome back!
Ive been doing this for 10 years now and cant get over all the technical leaps we have experienced that allow us to get such great images...I recently asked Chatgpt to enhance some of my images of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars but maybe Im cheating?
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You know after reading your story.... weirdly It now makes me want to reconsider selling the current C8 I listed for sale haha because Its a classic Celestron 8, When I took a Celestron C8i to experience my first ever dark sky observing with a computerized telescope. It all went completely wrong.... The telescope was not aligning... And when it supposedly aligned correctly the telescope and GOTO was not going to the object that I selected. I retested it back at home with super light polluted skies at Bortle 8 or 9... vs the Bortle 3-4 skies I traveled to, and shockingly the telescope aligned right. AND pointed right to the galaxy M104 the Sombrero I could BARELY make it out in Bortle 8 or 9 skies but it was there.
When I did the same in those bortle 3 skies for the sombrero the Telescope did a weird little dance (at least I call it that hahaha) and spun around like (you spin me round yea baby round) haha and completely missed the target M104. It literally pointed towards the north instead of south.
I was baffled and since putting up my Celestron C8 for sale it makes me realize the telescope HAS setting circles, so it would be extremely easy to use to find objects. Instead of the GOTO finding objects for me I would GO TO, myself with those setting Circles and telescope. I don't know what I did wrong whether if it was the location since I was in a completely isolated area and the nearest Biggest City on the Celestron Remote was Bakersfield. Which I thought maybe I need to use a custom site with Longitude and Latitude coordinates which I did try but maybe I input the wrong ones idk.
But reading your article was so relatable through what I went through haha but in a reverse kind of way. I would have preferred to have just taken the C8 classic over my GOTO one and try and find those objects myself with a star chart. Yes technology has come a long long way... But when it doesn't work properly it can just give more headaches than enjoyment I feel. And that's from a 33 year old saying that!
Because I know nowadays with the kiddos the Phones and those new Astronomy Apps for finding things especially like those star sense from Celestron is the new craze. Which I feel is great if it helps them. But now I am feeling maybe we need to go back to good ole star charts and finding out the objects ourselves. A great learning experience! I ended up just taking out my binoculars and just searching the skies which was still an enjoyable experience. But I do wish my goto worked on that telescope because the drive was 1 hour and 40 minutes to get away from light pollution.
Technology is GREAT! When it works but sometimes it also good to have good ole working trustworthy and NON failing. methods. I did everything on that Celestron C8i from factory resetting and making sure everything was done right. Idk. I guess I just have to figure it out.
It was a pleasure reading your article as I feel that I wish I would have been born in that era of astronomy when finding things on our own was more common than using a Go to System. But nevertheless astronomy will always be fulfilling with OR without a telescope. Sure it was upsetting not being to view all the objects I wanted to view with that C8i.. But the skies are and will always be there and I will definitely be going back! And maybe with a 10 inch go to DOBSONIAN next time
But welcome back to astronomy! I been on and off on the hobby but lately haven't been in the hobby for the past 4 years ( which is the longest I have gone not using my telescopes) but now I am dedicating myself to drive that 1 hour and 40 min yearly.. at least a few times a year to enjoy astronomy and make it fulfilling! From dark clear skies All the best to everyone and Clear Skies to all!
-Ed
That's the beauty of this hobby...the sky will always be available...yesterday, today, and tomorrow....long after we are gone. The explosive growth in technology and imaging is partially related to what has been lost for so many observers...backyard dark skies.
Decades ago we could star hop the night sky far more easily, armed with only an atlas or the current month S&T centerfold. Need more aperture ? Just grind and figure your own primary mirror and send it off for "aluminizing". Not easy, but very educational ! We had tech back then...hypered film, AC drive correctors, filters, and pencils for sketching !
I welcome and embrace the new tech, staying comfy indoors while downloading and processing gigabytes of data free from hot/cold weather and mosquitoes. But my scopes and eyepieces remind me to never forget and appreciate the basics.
Welcome back to the show. It will always be amazing.