Whats the Difference between Astronomy and Trainspotting?

[sabana]

1/Search

2/Find

3/Photograph

4/Log

Theres nothing wrong with trainspotting

[rfdesigner]

5/ understand

6/ discover

Derek

(admission: I own one of these: http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/ladyanne.htm )

[Kai]

7/ Tank top and Bobble Hat

8/ Standing outside for long period in the cold

[Syntarsus]

It's a great question and as a total newbie, reading these forums, I was wondering the same thing. As a kid I used to go plane spotting for some years. It seems like after just going out and appreciating what we see our restless brains require some extra activity too.

So far I've not had the urge to log what I've seen ... well not written down at least, I suppose mentally I'm keeping rough count.

For me looking up is about locating myself in the universe. I also find the science behind what we know amazing. How we know anything about these tiny pinpoints of light in the sky is incredible.

[JulianO]

All science is either physics or stamp collecting.

-- Ernest Rutherford, New Zealand physicist (1871-1937)

[kniclander]

just that for some of us the universe is more interesting than a train?

ps and the kit is better although i guess if you're trainspotter you can have nice bins and a cardy:).

[Syntarsus]

And is it more a male thing to do, cataloging information? Supposedly us men lean more towards the autistic, and such cataloging and ordering is perhaps part of that.

Seems like it's been happening for ever though - the construction of the constellations by many different ancient cultures is yet another manifestation of this.

[cosmological]

The difference is we're more brainier

[onesmallstep]

I can see this thread ending up like the Milton Keynes road system - going around in circles and leading nowhere!

[Charon]

Also if you are a trainspotter your 'I Spy Book of engine numbers is essential. By the way my old man was a train driver he started off cleaning out fire boxes, then relief fireman-fireman- relief driver then eventually became a driver, and he HATED the steam engines with a passion so when steam gave way to the diesel locos he was one happy bunny.

[Lonnie]

The stars are always on time...

[cabby]

there could be more Eddy Stobart spotters than train spotters nowadays, often see a group sat at the Dartford Tunnel roundabout!

[pvaz]

There are no trains in Azores...

[JonnyP]

I still can't explain the retrograde motion of an Intercity 125.

Oh hold on, I mean the planets!

[pete_gamby]

Aren't we supposed to call them "Railway Enthusiasts"...

[pvaz]

I once saw a movie called Trainspotting. I got the impression astronomy is a much healthier hobby...

[MikeD]

You can do astronomy in secret in you back garden, without people pointing at you and laughing.

Mike.

[angusb1]

I once saw a movie called Trainspotting. I got the impression astronomy is a much healthier hobby...

^^ Beat me to it. Healthier yes but not much cheaper. The difference as far as I can see is that heroin leads to you owning more or less nothing, whereas astronomy clutters up your house like no-one's business.

[deebster]

All science is either physics or stamp collecting.

-- Ernest Rutherford, New Zealand physicist (1871-1937)

Great quote

[FraserClarke]

The stars are always on time...

Better than that -- they are 3m56s earlier each day!

[nicnac]

Hmm, if you look up and see a train… your in bother

[cantab]

Trainspotters don't enthuse over boiler explosions.

[Capricorn]

You can train spot during the day, with or without clouds and even stood in a station under cover.

Photographing a train is easy and requires no more equipment than a simple camera.

[Photosbykev]

.....

Photographing a train is easy and requires no more equipment than a simple camera.

Try telling that to this guy Steam, Steel, and Stars (the night-time railway photographs of O Winston Link) | BAGDContext

[Andy McK]

I really dont get it, Trainspotters? why?

I counted 23 of them today!

(my record is 47)