Amateur astronomer or hobbyist?

[DougM43]

I consider myself as a hobbyist, but at what point do we become amateur astronomers?

I've heard it said that if you study something for half an hour a day for three years you will become an expert, so dose being an expert make you an amateur astronomer, or is it giving something to the scientific community, or are we all in fact amateur astronomers?

[teifistar]

Here is the dictionary definition.

adjective

Engaging or engaged in without payment; non-professional:an amateur archaeologist amateur athletics

So we are all amateur astronomers, even if we study for half an hour every day for 3 years we become amateur experts.

Peter 

[Kropster]

Wikipedia says....

"Generally speaking, a person who engages in an activity solely for fun is called a 'hobbyist', whereas a 'professional' generally engages in an activity for reward and an 'amateur' (from French for "lover of") does so out of personal interest in an activity."

[Roy Challen]

Hmm interesting question. I am half way through an engineering degree (part time with the OU) and I have studied more than the equivalent of half an hour every day, but I still do not consider myself an "engineer" - more of a "technician". This is because I have not yet gained an actual qualification and therefore not yet eligible to join an authorised institute in order to be a professional. My hobby is astronomy and I have studied it - briefly -  formally, but cannot claim to be an expert even though my interest has entered its 4th decade.

[ronin]

I will stick to hobbyist.

I would not like to guess what amateur astronomer is, and equally where does professional astronomer begin?

[bingevader]

So, I'd say my hobby is amateur astronomy!

A personal interest that's undertaken for fun?

[damnut]

Definitely, probably, precisely very amateur at this end even after 40 yrs...

[ScottS]

I'm an amateur hobbyist then

[ghostdance]

Guess I'm a hobbyist, as to be an astronomer implies an understanding of maths, physics and lots of technical stuff that really my little brain cannot lay claim to...

I prefer the term 'Stargazer' tho, as that is pretty much exactly what I do - gaze in slack-jawed humble wonderment, coupled with dancing-up-down joy, at the glorious universe.

[gooseholla]

I see myself as a Hobbyist - I take clear nights off, I can go months without observing. I do it when I feel like it. I think an amateur is more keen, takes every/ the majority of opportunity available and has some idea at what they are looking for/at. I do it as a kind of passing of time in a relaxing way.

John

[Crimson Sunset]

That's a good question. Personally I think of amateur astronomers as those of us who "do science" of some kind or another.

Meanwhile I sit in the garden and gormlessly stare through a tube. I feel like I don't deserve to be called an astronomer, more of a stargazer! 

[ScottS]

I think Brian May echoed many of our sentiments as per my signature.

[bejay1957]

Even after many many years, I'd still class myself as an interested stargazer/hobbyist

[RichM63]

That's a good question. Personally I think of amateur astronomers as those of us who "do science" of some kind or another.

Meanwhile I sit in the garden and gormlessly stare through a tube. I feel like I don't deserve to be called an astronomer, more of a stargazer! 

That's a good question. Personally I think of amateur astronomers as those of us who "do science" of some kind or another.

Meanwhile I sit in the garden and gormlessly stare through a tube. I feel like I don't deserve to be called an astronomer, more of a stargazer! 

So do I, and then finish cleaning the table and take the kitchen roll back indoors!

Yup hobyist here, I like observing, searching for objects etc but don't get into the maths or physics of serious amateur astronomy.

[Astro Imp]

I'm a star gazer, I don't have the education to take it further but I enjoy every moment out with my scope.

[asset189]

Not near smart enough to consider my self as an amature astronomer but i do love to try and understand some of the science behind it all.  Since i was five years old and my grandfather showed me the plough and a few other constellations ive loved gazing up in wonder at the night sky.  I watch live as man set foot on the moon not really taking in the enormity of it all at 10 yrs old. Teenage years, girls, then marriage etc meant my interest waned for a time but the return of Halley in the 1980's was a new dawn for me .

I still remember the excitement of looking for it for nights on end with no success with an old pair of 10 x 50 bins then th thrill I felt when i found that first possible glips of a faint dirty snowball , could it possibly be the famous halleys comet / The the sheer joy of looking a couple of nigths later and discovering it had moved , Id found this distant infrequent visitor and felt connected in a weird way.  I was hooked again ive seen may coments since and never failed to be awed by their amazing journeys but Halley was my first.

ive wept at the Challenger disaster, wondered at images from Cassini , felt sad in a strange way when ISON failed to make it round the sun after such an epic journey , marvelled at the recent eclipse and Im simply facinated by attepts to explain the big bang theory.

The Hobby, science, interest call it what you will has never beeen closer to oidinary folks , with the availablity of good quality kit for prices that were unthinkable 10 years ago plus the fantastic work of folks like  Patrick Moore, Brian Cox and many other bringing such wonders into our homes via Tv .  

You can probably tell my my rambling on that I enjoy being able to look at the stars and try to take it all in. Astronomer or hobbyist probably a bit of both and a lot of wonder .  

[Ags]

I never use either term. Maybe I am dyed in the wool PC, but I try to avoid labels or assertions of identity. So I say I enjoy astronomy, or that I experiment with astrophotography.

[hes not well again]

I feel I must stick up for the term amateur, britain has a long tradition of very outstanding amatuers, many of whom put the professionals to shame in terms of committment and raw talent.

[Floater]

I've been through this with birds. People are determined to get me to say whether I'm a birdwatcher, a twitcher, an ornithologist, a birder or whatever. It's not important but you have to decide how you reply. (With that particular pastime you'll always have to field the usual schoolboy jokes about 'burdz', of course.)

So I like 'stargazer'.

Oh, and 'birder'.

[Matt Scunthorpe]

Interesting question, but how many times have you said 'i do astronomy' when talking with work colleagues etc, that implies being an amateur.

Personally, ive never given it any thought haha.

Matt.

[coulthamst]

I'm a stargawper. Probably because I'm from Yorkshire.

[laudropb]

An interesting question. I studied astronomy at university, but never made a career of it. I just preferred to look at the skies in awe at what I was seeing and the implications of some of the objects. I really don't know what that makes me

[Moonshane]

I don't think it's an important distinction. I don't feel offended being called a stargazer or astronomer (although I do 'give people the dead eye' when they refer to me as an astrologer). I tend to say I love 'doing astronomy' or astronomy is my main hobby.

Other than being paid, I think one aspect of being a professional astronomer is that you specialise. I read that some of the staff working on the mission to land a probe on Titan had never actually seen the Saturnian moon and would have struggled to find it. most amateurs would have no such troubles and would know more about general astronomy many professionals. on the reverse, the professionals would have the scientific background and n depth knowledge required for specialism.

[Cath]

What does it mean if which matters more ?

[JB80]

I don't think it matters, most people hear astrologer anyway.