Very well put Jon. As one just getting back into the hobby (typical story, had a 60mm Tasco as a kid, now retired and returning to the hobby), I can tell you there are those nights you set up and everything just clicks and you'll see the dust lanes in M31, M13 as a giant explosion of stars, M8 filling the fov with it's smoky tendrils......and the next time around all you can do is enjoy the sunset and do naked eye observing cause of the "Stubborn Equipment Curse"......but you know what, naked eye viewing ain't bad when you're at the dark site......and if there are others there, they are usually more than willing to let you take a peek. To be truthful, my last trip to the dark site, I didn't use the scope....just went out to see Jupiter rise (about 1am, so its been awhile since I've been to the dark site) and to be alone to drink it all in.
What kills the hobby of astronomy and what keeps it going?
#51
Posted 13 December 2014 - 11:56 AM
#52
Posted 13 December 2014 - 01:30 PM
I think at one time or another we each reach a place where we stay with the hobby or leave it.
So why it that, I think the big one is lack of time, followed by bad weather or not knowing the sky as well as we wish we did or even not having the dream scope we think would keep are interest.
I so often see in the classified ads here a running tread of sadness of the seller moving on and selling it all with no interest to replace it with another scope and think is this going to be me someday?
It shocks me when I add the cost of my equipment in comparison to how often it's used and see where the nervousness begins in the slippery slope away from such a wonderful pleasure of enjoying the night sky alone or with friends.
So have you felt the same and how have you kept your love going over the years for the great hobby of astronomy?
Thanks
The activity of star gazing is much older than the term "hobby". So long as there is a sky above and thinking entities capable of looking up and wondering, star gazing will endure.
Star gazing, too, requires no particular expenditure. You can walk out, look up and see plenty to inspire. Spending is optional. Spending a very little gets you a set of binoculars that expands the scope of your star gazing manyfold. For a few hundred dollars - much less than one would spend on most other hobbies - one could purchase a 10" or 12" Dob and have access to more of the Universe than one could observe and experience in a lifetime.
Spending is optional for participation in the purest, most ancient "hobby". It is deathless.
- Jim
#53
Posted 13 December 2014 - 01:42 PM
Every day, the universe celebrates my birthday...because every night, I am given photons from a more distant object that was generated at the exact time I was born.....and it does that for each and every one of us that has ever existed...and always will, till the last dying star in the universe dissappears and a new universe is born from the ashes of the old....
#54
Posted 16 December 2014 - 08:48 PM
I can only speak for myself and share some of my experiences. I go back to my approach to hunting and fishing when I was younger. When I got into using a telescope I used the same approach like going hunting or fishing, but using my scope i was exploring and bagging my objects instead of wild game--and I noticed that i was a lot more successful at the scope than hunting and fishing where you can come home empty and skunked. If the skies are reasonably clear you never get skunked in astronomy; you harvest a bounty!
Now there have been a couple of times when I had clear skies that I either decided not to go because of cold, wind chill, and snow. Once years ago on a clear moonless night I arrived at my dark sky site and just decided that I really didn't want to set up and observe and just turned around and drove home. It kind of bothered me, and I asked myself, am I loosing interest? But I concluded that you have to be motivated to do this especially if you travel to a DSS; you have to really want to do this because it takes a certain amount of effort and the willingness that has to be there. I even left the hobby for a time, but I was glad I got back into using a telescope and I am more enthused than ever.
I guess the fire that burns in me is the exploration and quest of it all: maybe this is like my Mt. Everest. I admit it, I'm addicted to it. Fortunately my wife doesn't mind, she looks forward to my scoping trips hopefully several times a month to a DSS. so she can have the place to herself.
One more thing: the night sky and the objects have always been the goal. The equipment has always been a means to this goal and not the goal itself.
Edited by Philler, 16 December 2014 - 08:52 PM.
#55
Posted 16 December 2014 - 09:11 PM
I can only speak for myself and share some of my experiences. I go back to my approach to hunting and fishing when I was younger. When I got into using a telescope I used the same approach like going hunting or fishing, but using my scope i was exploring and bagging my objects instead of wild game--and I noticed that i was a lot more successful at the scope than hunting and fishing where you can come home empty and skunked. If the skies are reasonably clear you never get skunked in astronomy; you harvest a bounty!
Now there have been a couple of times when I had clear skies that I either decided not to go because of cold, wind chill, and snow. Once years ago on a clear moonless night I arrived at my dark sky site and just decided that I really didn't want to set up and observe and just turned around and drove home. It kind of bothered me, and I asked myself, am I loosing interest? But I concluded that you have to be motivated to do this especially if you travel to a DSS; you have to really want to do this because it takes a certain amount of effort and the willingness that has to be there. I even left the hobby for a time, but I was glad I got back into using a telescope and I am more enthused than ever.
I guess the fire that burns in me is the exploration and quest of it all: maybe this is like my Mt. Everest. I admit it, I'm addicted to it. Fortunately my wife doesn't mind, she looks forward to my scoping trips hopefully several times a month to a DSS. so she can have the place to herself.
One more thing: the night sky and the objects have always been the goal. The equipment has always been a means to this goal and not the goal itself.
Thanks, that was a fun read and could see it as you wrote
#56
Posted 16 December 2014 - 09:53 PM
What kills it?
For one, inconvenience & light pollution. I live in a area with a lot of LP, and I own a 78mm spotting scope and I have an 8" Dob that I am borrowing from my club.
I use the spotting scope more often than I use the Dob, (which is rare) simply because the spotting scope is much more lightweight & convenient, especially since the Dob does not improve the view much considering the LP.
I assume from this experience that if someone who lived in an area with lots of LP were to buy a scope that is very inconvenient to get out, set up etc., it would end up collecting dust, and the person would lose interest and sell their scope over time, due to not participating in the hobby for a while.
Edited by astroMakemake42, 16 December 2014 - 09:54 PM.
#57
Posted 16 December 2014 - 09:57 PM
Haven't read the entire thread, so I apologize if someone has already mentioned this. I think that unrealistic expectations--expecting to see Hubble-like views--make many quit the hobby. The frustration and learning curve attendant imaging knocks off some as well.
Edited by choran, 16 December 2014 - 09:57 PM.
#58
Posted 16 December 2014 - 10:41 PM
I think at one time or another we each reach a place where we stay with the hobby or leave it.
So why is that, I think the big one is lack of time, followed by bad weather or not knowing the sky as well as we wish we did or even not having the dream scope we think would keep are interest.
I so often see in the classified ads here a running tread of sadness of the seller moving on and selling it all with no interest to replace it with another scope and think is this going to be me someday?
It shocks me when I add the cost of my equipment in comparison to how often it's used and see where the nervousness begins in the slippery slope away from such a wonderful pleasure of enjoying the night sky alone or with friends.
So have you felt the same and how have you kept your love going over the years for the great hobby of astronomy?
Thanks
Very nice picture of the Moon. I've always been involved in astronomy for the past 20 years non-stop in fact it's an addiction that just seems to get more intense as the years pass. I got another new 8" dob to star hopping again, so that's nice, but my scopes are servants, not the other way around. The driving force behind ALL of it is this.
http://books.google....epage&q&f=false
Were it not for that, I would not have had a mentor with me all the time, because I need that much energy around me to keep me thirsty and since there's an endless array of all sorts of diverse objects, it just never ends thank goodness. I want to be around people who have energy. If a person wants to enjoy this as a way of life, then do it. Don't mess around with it.
#59
Posted 16 December 2014 - 10:45 PM
I think at one time or another we each reach a place where we stay with the hobby or leave it.
So why is that, I think the big one is lack of time, followed by bad weather or not knowing the sky as well as we wish we did or even not having the dream scope we think would keep are interest.
I so often see in the classified ads here a running tread of sadness of the seller moving on and selling it all with no interest to replace it with another scope and think is this going to be me someday?
It shocks me when I add the cost of my equipment in comparison to how often it's used and see where the nervousness begins in the slippery slope away from such a wonderful pleasure of enjoying the night sky alone or with friends.
So have you felt the same and how have you kept your love going over the years for the great hobby of astronomy?
Thanks
Very nice picture of the Moon. I've always been involved in astronomy for the past 20 years non-stop in fact it's an addiction that just seems to get more intense as the years pass. I got another new 8" dob to star hopping again, so that's nice, but my scopes are servants, not the other way around. The driving force behind ALL of it is this.
http://books.google....epage&q&f=false
Were it not for that, I would not have had a mentor with me all the time, because I need that much energy around me to keep me thirsty and since there's an endless array of all sorts of diverse objects, it just never ends thank goodness. I want to be around people who have energy. If a person wants to enjoy this as a way of life, then do it. Don't mess around with it.
Wow that the whole book, thanks!
#60
Posted 17 December 2014 - 10:09 AM
What keeps it going is understanding that, as far as we know, the rest of the universe is profoundly ignorant of our existence. Yet here we are afloat in a tiny gas pocket studying the rest of the universe. It is such a privilege to be alive, conscious, aware, and able to look up at the night sky and think about things such as this. This is what keeps me going night after cloudy night.
Edited by karstenkoch, 17 December 2014 - 10:14 AM.
#61
Posted 17 December 2014 - 10:40 AM
What kills the hobby of astronomy likely is also what brings it new members. Its curse and growth comes from the media hype from astronomy equipment manufacturers and magazines that floods all media with every astronomical event along with the ad copywriter’s need to feed off from terms like Blood Moon and Comet of the Century to draw unsuspecting neophytes into purchasing overpriced and under quality gear to view events. Astronomy’s salvation may be in the ability of online sites such as Cloudy Nights to educate these people as to realistic expectations of what amateurs with modest equipment can expect. My 60mm Focal (Kmart) scope was all I could afford to own as my young family took priority with limited funds and had I been laughed at when in 1981 when I showed up at my 1st Stellafane with my 6 year old son and 60mm department store scope instead of being welcomed and invited to share views through their scopes, my next 30 plus years in this hobby and my love of the night sky could have been aborted. I will always keep this in mind when talking with neophytes as they take their first steps in this wonderful hobby with their modest gear; a few kind words of encouragement can keep a flame burning as they explore the night sky.
Grey
#62
Posted 17 December 2014 - 11:37 AM
What kills the hobby of astronomy likely is also what brings it new members. Its curse and growth comes from the media hype from astronomy equipment manufacturers and magazines that floods all media with every astronomical event along with the ad copywriter’s need to feed off from terms like Blood Moon and Comet of the Century to draw unsuspecting neophytes into purchasing overpriced and under quality gear to view events. Astronomy’s salvation may be in the ability of online sites such as Cloudy Nights to educate these people as to realistic expectations of what amateurs with modest equipment can expect. My 60mm Focal (Kmart) scope was all I could afford to own as my young family took priority with limited funds and had I been laughed at when in 1981 when I showed up at my 1st Stellafane with my 6 year old son and 60mm department store scope instead of being welcomed and invited to share views through their scopes, my next 30 plus years in this hobby and my love of the night sky could have been aborted. I will always keep this in mind when talking with neophytes as they take their first steps in this wonderful hobby with their modest gear; a few kind words of encouragement can keep a flame burning as they explore the night sky.
Grey
This is sooo true. Before I bought a telescope and became more interested in amateur astronomy, my son got a department store (toy) scope for a christmas present. The view from it were pretty nasty, but it was my first look into the sky since I was a kid. It opened up a new curiosity for me. I didn't bring it to any star parties, but after that I took the boys to a local observatory and got to view through their twin celestron 14" SCT's. What a treat.
It is easy to be closed off to others and to criticize their equipment when we have superior equipment. It takes a lot more effort to be inclusive and encouraging. I'm sure more than one person has been chased away from the "hobby" by condescending remarks.
Thank you Greyhaven for reminding me of this fact.
Matt
#63
Posted 17 December 2014 - 12:15 PM
Nobody can kill it or kindle the flame but yourself (if you let someone else make that decision for you (assuming you are not a child), then you got other bigger problems.) That being said, I'd never put down anyone or their scope, regardless of it's quality. I would do my best to help them with my limited knowledge to make it perform to its best....of course, I'm not responsible if they look thru someone elses 20" Webster with a Zambuto mirror and spend the rest of their life living in the mirror box........
#64
Posted 18 December 2014 - 08:05 AM
My 60mm Focal (Kmart) scope was all I could afford to own as my young family took priority with limited funds and had I been laughed at when in 1981 when I showed up at my 1st Stellafane with my 6 year old son and 60mm department store scope instead of being welcomed and invited to share views through their scopes, my next 30 plus years in this hobby and my love of the night sky could have been aborted.
I was never laughed at, but an email to a local astronomy club went unanswered. I was looking for a little help with a 60mm refractor I purchased from our neighborhood astronomy shop for my son and I to use.
That was 17 years ago, and thankfully it didn't deter my determination to view the heavens with that scope. First we looked at the moon, then Saturn, then M42/43, and when I barely spotted M81 and M82 I was hooked on DSO's forever.
#65
Posted 18 December 2014 - 08:47 AM
I'd say very little can "kill" this hobby. When skies are cloudy, I can read or edit images. During the day there is the sun, the night, the moon and stars. There is always something to be learned.
#66
Posted 18 December 2014 - 11:34 AM
I learned that cloud watching makes for a fine ancilliary hobby to astronomy.........
#67
Posted 18 December 2014 - 12:26 PM
Been doing a lot of that lately.....
#68
Posted 18 December 2014 - 03:23 PM
Its called a hobby, but is it really? I have always looked up for as long as I can remember. I have always been interested in "whats up there?, how do things up there move around?, is that a star or a planet?". The telescope has only been recently added to allow me to see things in better detail. I can go several weeks without using the telescope, but I can guarantee you that in those several weeks I have stepped out to look up almost daily. I don't fear losing an interest in this hobby because its not a hobby to me....its who I am.
#69
Posted 19 December 2014 - 01:36 PM
For me, with hobbies, I take a small bite. If I like the taste, I take a big helping, and if I still like it, I go for top-end. I'm beyond fortunate to have a wonderful life partner who encourages me to do what I love. She sees that I go a little hog-wild, but that I use the heck out of whatever gear I buy. She also appreciates that if my interest wanes, I sometimes scale back the equipment, selling off a top-end item if I feel I'm not using it enough.
When I started unicycling 11 years ago (mid-life crisis). I bought a "learner" unicycle ($100), and loved it. Bought a KH29 ($500), and a couple more. Then I rebuilt the 29er wheel around a geared-hub ($1500) (that's top-end in the unicycle world). I eventually sold the geared hub, but I still have a full stable of one-wheelers, and I still ride fairly often. As long as I have a sound body, I will keep riding.
After a lifelong interest in astronomy, I inexplicably waited until I was 48 years old to buy a telescope. My first bite was a 4.5" Starblast. Stepped up to an Apertura AD8. Then I went top-end. (Teeter/Royce). As long as I have sound mind and eyesight, I will keep observing. I may someday scale back and sell the Teeter if I feel it's not getting enough use or it becomes too heavy for me, but no way will I ever stop looking up.
Nor will I ever sell my Canon 10x42is binos.
Edited by steveyo, 19 December 2014 - 01:39 PM.
#70
Posted 19 December 2014 - 05:13 PM
Yes, like most CN'ers, it's the cloudy new moon nights that are putting the kybosh on my observing. The last 1.5 years have been dreadful. What keeps me going are the too few nights under the starry dome. It's hard to be an eternal optimist but what choice do we have, we have been bitten with no antidote.
#71
Posted 19 December 2014 - 08:53 PM
That was me, too. Except I jumped on it at 39After a lifelong interest in astronomy, I inexplicably waited until I was 48 years old to buy a telescope.
Bought a celestron firstscope 76mm dob. It was a little disappointing but did whet my appetite for more. These astro companies aint dumb. They'll sell you something in each price bracket until you figure out you really wanted the top model to begin with I'm not sure if that helps or hurts the hobby, but it is how it works for many folks. The real problem is for the folks who could have afforded a mid-price model from the start but are now stuck with something lesser. I don't have any advice except try to look through as many scopes owned by others before you buy. That wasn't a practical option for me.
The great thing about the hobby these days that $500 can get you some really enjoyable gear.
On the other hand, as many have said, all you really need is one or two eyes connected to a brain to enjoy the night sky.
Edited by karstenkoch, 19 December 2014 - 08:58 PM.
#72
Posted 19 December 2014 - 09:44 PM
That was me, too. Except I jumped on it at 39After a lifelong interest in astronomy, I inexplicably waited until I was 48 years old to buy a telescope.
Bought a celestron firstscope 76mm dob. It was a little disappointing but did whet my appetite for more. These astro companies aint dumb. They'll sell you something in each price bracket until you figure out you really wanted the top model to begin with I'm not sure if that helps or hurts the hobby, but it is how it works for many folks. The real problem is for the folks who could have afforded a mid-price model from the start but are now stuck with something lesser. I don't have any advice except try to look through as many scopes owned by others before you buy. That wasn't a practical option for me.
The great thing about the hobby these days that $500 can get you some really enjoyable gear.
On the other hand, as many have said, all you really need is one or two eyes connected to a brain to enjoy the night sky.
I was 15! 48 years ago. Geez...
#73
Posted 02 January 2015 - 09:52 PM
nothing kills it. it might lie dormant for a while, but sooner or later there will be that amazingly clear night, maybe it won't be so cold out, maybe there's only reruns on the TV, maybe no one else is home. you already know what you're likely to find. you even remember it's going to be awe inspiring, possibly even gasp enducing. and so you drag out the scope, and you point it at an old friend, and before you know it you're surfing the darkness, just hoping for a surprise... it's out there... the surprise is out there. So keep your scope, like a bag of old golf clubs, and dust it off once in a while, just in case. 'cause you never know when you're going to have that impulse.
#74
Posted 03 January 2015 - 12:06 AM
I think at one time or another we each reach a place where we stay with the hobby or leave it.
So why it that, I think the big one is lack of time, followed by bad weather or not knowing the sky as well as we wish we did or even not having the dream scope we think would keep are interest.
I so often see in the classified ads here a running tread of sadness of the seller moving on and selling it all with no interest to replace it with another scope and think is this going to be me someday?
It shocks me when I add the cost of my equipment in comparison to how often it's used and see where the nervousness begins in the slippery slope away from such a wonderful pleasure of enjoying the night sky alone or with friends.
So have you felt the same and how have you kept your love going over the years for the great hobby of astronomy?
Thanks
The activity of star gazing is much older than the term "hobby". So long as there is a sky above and thinking entities capable of looking up and wondering, star gazing will endure.
Star gazing, too, requires no particular expenditure. You can walk out, look up and see plenty to inspire. Spending is optional. Spending a very little gets you a set of binoculars that expands the scope of your star gazing manyfold. For a few hundred dollars - much less than one would spend on most other hobbies - one could purchase a 10" or 12" Dob and have access to more of the Universe than one could observe and experience in a lifetime.
Spending is optional for participation in the purest, most ancient "hobby". It is deathless.
- Jim
Nice thoughts Jim.
#75
Posted 03 January 2015 - 09:33 AM
I just bought my first telescope and that thought [of not spending time with it] crossed my mind also.
I also just purchased my first telescope, and the thought of "how long will this keep my interest" has crossed my mind as well. Every so often we will have a really good seeing night and out on a walk at night I'll just want to stand there and gaze. Now I know that when I get back to the house from the walk, I have a telescope I can get out and do even more viewing. So the interest will wax and wane (see what I did there?) but having a tool to use will be nice regardless of how much it gets used.