How long does it take to get a sound knowledge of the universe

[Stevonator]

Hi,

I've been reading many things online, and a few books all relating to how the Earth rotates around the sun, the terminology for certain things and how to do things, but it all seems to be going in one ear and out the other.

Some of it is staying in my head though, like the rings the planets orbit around is called the Zodiac, Polaris is the north star give or take 1 Degree and it's found in the Ursa Minor constellation if you follow the handle or the "pointing stars".

I haven't yet touched a telescope in my life, hopefully I'll be getting one very soon if all goes to plan, perhaps if I'm actually able to look at the constellations I'm reading about I'll understand it a bit more.

I suppose it will all come naturally with a lot of time and patience, but how long did it take you to become confident in your knowledge and ability ??

Steve

[Smeg]

Depends on how good your microphone is

[Nova]

LOL smeg.

Ive only been following this hobby since March. I think ive learned a fair bit in that time and like to think my knowledge of the night sky is reasonable. Having said that I went to a dark sky site for the first time last week and it took a good few minutes to get my bearings due to there being so many more visible stars. This hobby is so diverse with so many differant avenues to follow I dont plan on ever fully understanding all of it but im confident in the things I have learnt so far. This question is kind of the same as "how long is a piece of string?" If you learn one constellation and learn to find it in the sky then I think its safe to say you are confident of your knowledge of that one constellation in terms of its location but then you can go deeper and learn about the objects in that constellation and how to find them which will take considerably longer to master. This is the hobby where you never stop learning!!!

[Nexus 6]

like the Cosmos its an eternal thing Steve, never enough time or decent weather to understand and practice how that knowledge has been absorbed.

Just keep at it and slowly it starts to build over time.

Clear Skies

[Stevonator]

Fantastic, cheers Nova. I definitely know what you mean by this is the hobby where you never stop learning, I've been researching into Ursa Minor to locate Polaris, going deeper into that I learnt you could tell the time because every star in the sky rotates around the North Pole, which is where Polaris just happens to be!

I think baby steps at first, naked eye viewing of the sky, learning basic constellations and the names of the stars in them. I really hope that hard work and dedication all pays off in the end!

[John]

I've been in the hobby for over 30 years - still learning loads all the time - new technology coming in, new discoveries, new events to view like comets, supernovae etc.

In terms of knowledge of scopes and using them, things really took off for me when I found SGL 5 years ago but I'm still learning on that front too

[barkis]

There is no magic formula I'm afraid. It's all too daunting because you are trying to absorb too much information at once.

Teaching youself signposts in the sky takes time. The constellations appear in the celestial sphere according to the position of the earth in it's march around the sun. These constellations are the signposts, or at least the stars within them are. Those stars can point you to objects of note, and most of them might be too faint to see without an optical aid.

Buy youself a good star atlas, and or Planisphere. A Plnisphere is a very useful tool, and will depict the sky in your area at any time of year, month, and date. If you use it regularly, you will soon get to know the constellations by heart. A more detailed atlas will show where certain deep sky objects are in relation to certain stars within a constellation. This is a slow learning process, but if you do become expert, you will be popular at star parties as the human GoTo, as opposed to a GoTo telescope, which most people prefer to use. If you are up for it, do it the hard way, you won't regret it.

Ron.

[old_eyes]

There is a huge amount to learn, but you can have a lot of fun and go a long way with a little knowledge. Two things I found very useful when I started (with binoculars).

The first was one of those classic Philips Planispheres. If you haven't seen one of these it is a disc with a rotating plastic overlay. You set date and time and it shows you which objects are visible and which direction. Pick out the bright ones and you can start to make sense of what is in front of you.

Second was a good beginners book. I used "Turn Left at Orion", as did many people on SGL, and found it excellent. It picks out the interesting objects. Shows you what you can expect to see with the naked eye, binoculars and small telescopes, and how to find things.

With these two I saw an amazing amount and learned a great deal with just a pair of binoculars.

Have fun

old_eyes

[pvaz]

To really get a grasp on the knowledge we (human kind) have on the way the universe works you have to get your head around physics. I don't mean you have to be able to solve complex math problems, leave that for astrophysics, but you can get a grasp of how things work by reading some books written with the general public in mind. I would recommend "Why Does E=mc2?: (And Why Should We Care?)" by Brian Cox

[ronin]

Owning a scope doesn't make you the next Stephen Hawkin.

[Nexus 6]

Owning a scope doesn't make you the next Stephen Hawkin.

well of course not but it will at least be able to show some outstanding and truly wonderful sights

[Stevonator]

Owning a scope doesn't make you the next Stephen Hawkin.

I never said it did, but I agree with nexus 6, just seeing the universe in it's beauty is a privilege, one that many people never see.

[JamesM]

Probably a lifetime but that's part of the challenge - if you knew it all you would become bored and chose something else. Getting to know the sky takes very little time really but it's helped a lot by reinforcing this knowledge through practice. The information that you've been reading might seem a little dry but when you put it into practice with that scope that on its way to you, it will all become a lot easier. Don't feel you have to learn it all, just start off with a constellation at a time and get to know it really well, then move on to the next.

What does make 'rehearsal' difficult of course is the weather and it is very easy to slip out of an astronomy mind set and what you've learnt to date. To that end its always good to have a couple of books for such dry patches to help you maintain focus, though with the last amount of bad weather I think I could have read half of my local library. Hope the new scope arrives soon, the nights will be getting darker and earlier with longer observing sessions possible, so you most certainly will be up to to speed very soon - I might be asking you a question or two!

Clear skies

James

[Pug]

I started with binoculars 2yrs ago and have owned a scope for 1yr. When I started I lived, ate and breathed astronomy but found I was getting frustrated because none of the information was sticking! Slowing down on the info and just enjoying what I'm seeing and reading up on after (and this site) seem to have helped the knowledge stay put.

Just my experience and I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer!

[brantuk]

Hi Steve - like the others say - it's a constant and facinating learning process. To give yourself a good start get "Turn Left at Orion" or "Illustrated Guide to Astronomical Wonders". Follow the constellations for a year of seasons with one of those two books, learning where stuff is and how to find it with a scope, and you'll have a great grounding.

Alternatively (or as well), take Sky at Night or Atronomy Now magazines and follow the center page pull out guides to the sky for a year. Take it a step at a time and one constellation at a time and you'll be surprised how quick your knowledge builds up.

Now's a good time to start with Orion coming round in the early evening over the next few weeks - easilly spotted and loads of interesting stuff in there. Loads of luck to you

[bish]

My interest in astronomy started in the late 70's but I still couldn't name that many craters on the moon. Other areas I will read everything I can in depth. Sometimes I want to be out on every clear night and some months I would rather sit inside watching the sky at night. It's good to know the constellations if you plan on getting a scope but otherwise just see where it takes you. You will never know everything but once you get sruck into it you will be surprised how much you pick up without trying.

[onesmallstep]

Minimum time - 12 months.

This gives you enough time to learn the sky with binoculars and/or telescope and to use a star guide to familiarise yourself with the constellations and the astro 'seasons'.

It will also give you time to undertake a period of self directed study through reading key astronomical texts and secondary reading such as biographies and general science.

Finally it will give you time to find and join an astro society that's right for you. By talking to others in the amateur astronomy field you will gain a wealth of knowledge and experience that you can build on as well as making some lifelong friends and - over time - undertake genuine astro science projects to add to the knowledge pool.

HTH, good luck!

[jamespels]

I'd agree with the 12 months answer. This won't give you an in-depth knowledge of all parts of the night sky but you will be a competent star hopper and have seen most of the major sights. From there on, it's looking for the fainter things, revisiting old friends, dabbling in astrophotography or whatever floats your boat - after a year of astronomy you should have a pretty god idea where your interests lie. Just don't do what I did and decide the weeks in to start your own star party!

To answer literally, has taken about 100, 000 years so far and counting!

[Merlin66]

Get a good all round primer like Moche's "Astronomy-A Self teaching guide"....

Astronomy: A Self-Teaching Guide, Sixth Edition by Dinah L. Moche - Reviews, Discussion, Bookclubs, Lists

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=moche%20astronomy%20a%20self-teaching%20guide&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBwQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAstronomy-Self-Teaching-Dinah-L-Moche%2Fdp%2F0471265187&ei=JA2ETvXkK6ab1AW4wpj4Dw&usg=AFQjCNEwJe44wuFCIT70ApJo4zSgy5y6YQ

There are so many aspects of astronomy, what's in the sky, where it is, why it's there, how it happens; telescopes and mountings; photography and CCD; filters and spectroscopes etc etc

You have to start somewhere...and yes, it does demand some effort...you get nothing for nothing. In the end it's well worthwhile.

HTH