My Local Astronomical Society

[Bluemoonsean]

Hi all. Im thinking of going to my local astronomy club next month. They are doing a presentation on Astrophotography with Dr. Andy Newsam. Im just not sure what to expect though (and maybe a little shy about it), are these clubs welcoming to a noob like me and what other kind of things could i benifit from by going every month.

If any of you attend these kind of things your input is much appreciated.

Sean

[mallorcasaint]

Definitely go along! You will find that most astronomy societies will be glad to have new members as astronomers always love to pass on their expertise to noobies. Seriously, you will more than likely be welcomed with open arms and enjoy a great night.

[mike.brightmore]

Astro Societies are like SGL with faces and coffee, you will get a lot from joining in.

[Carbon Brush]

Yes, what they said.

95% and more are friendly and helpful. You will be welcomed and find new friends.

I'm adding the next comment just in case you hit on a bad one and are tempted to tar everyone with the same brush.

There are one or two cliquey clubs around. The sort of place who won't let you join unless you are already a member. But they don't generally advertise who their guest speakers are going to be. Can't have anyone wandering in off the street can we?

But this is definitely the minority - their membership declines rapidly and the problem sorts itself.

[Bluemoonsean]

Nice one guys. they have a website with guest speakers for the season.

Im looking forward to it realy, just never been before.

Thanks for your info

Sean

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk

[Bluemoonsean]

Yes, what they said.

95% and more are friendly and helpful. You will be welcomed and find new friends.

I'm adding the next comment just in case you hit on a bad one and are tempted to tar everyone with the same brush.

There are one or two cliquey clubs around. The sort of place who won't let you join unless you are already a member. But they don't generally advertise who their guest speakers are going to be. Can't have anyone wandering in off the street can we?

But this is definitely the minority - their membership declines rapidly and the problem sorts itself.

Il let you know. Cheers.

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk

[Bluemoonsean]

Definitely go along! You will find that most astronomy societies will be glad to have new members as astronomers always love to pass on their expertise to noobies. Seriously, you will more than likely be welcomed with open arms and enjoy a great night.

Thanks. Been wanting To go for over a year now.

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk

[steelyglint]

Do it mate! I.joined one in the new year and IV been to three meetings thus far....we've. Had a speaker each time o.e oof whom was Prof john zarnecki doing a talk on comets. I always feel like I wanna get the scope out when I get home which I think I a key factor...motivates you...defo worth it. IV got acsess to a dark site and could go use it twice a month if I wanted too...weather pending ofcorse

[JimStan]

Being the Editor of our club's newsletter, and a former Chairman of the club, I believe I can speak with some degree of authority when I say that a local astronomy club is one of the most enjoyable ways to become friends with people that share your excitement and enthusiasm for the wonders of the night sky!

I have had interests in some other hobby/avocations that seem to sprout a great deal of animosity toward other members of the same hobby that may not be as advanced or skilled in that hobby as others seem to think they themselves are.

Amateur astronomy is NOT like that, and virtually every one I know or have come in contact with seems to be anxious to learn new things, and/or to share their acquired knowledge and skills with other interested persons.

To conclude this dissertation I'll just summarize what I have been saying; an astronomy club is one of the BEST ways I know of to help develop your interests and skills in this fantastic hobby, and to form wonderful friendships !

Jim S.

[SeedyF]

I recently joined my local astro society and attended the first meeting. The talk on alien life was fascinating. I wanted to talk to the speaker but he was cornered by a couple of whack-jobs who believed that computer viruses should be considered complex life and firmly believed there was unequivocal proof that UFOs exsited and proved that complex alien life was visiting us. I left the speaker to fend them off

Everyone else was very welcoming, I'm sure the whack-jobs would be welcoming but they were very aggressive in putting their points to the speaker so I decided not to try and find out. The atmosphere was very friendly. I felt a bit out of place because it was a very old audience in general but it was a diverse group which bodes well for the future.

So my advice would be go along, you've got nothing to lose. If one of the group looks like Popcorn from Moonshiners (Bios : Moonshiners : Discovery Channel) don't ask him about computer viruses

[sytra]

Yes, what they said.

95% and more are friendly and helpful. You will be welcomed and find new friends.

I'm adding the next comment just in case you hit on a bad one and are tempted to tar everyone with the same brush.

There are one or two cliquey clubs around. The sort of place who won't let you join unless you are already a member. But they don't generally advertise who their guest speakers are going to be. Can't have anyone wandering in off the street can we?

But this is definitely the minority - their membership declines rapidly and the problem sorts itself.

Agree with this comment, i enquired a couple of months ago regarding my local club, seemed quite happy to have a newbie visit etc, the mood soon changed when they asked what scope i had.. my answer the SW130, their reply ohhhhhh we dont like toy scopes, our members have blah blah. needless to say i wont be visiting any time soon

[Macavity]

Give it a FEW meetings? Groups sometimes offer different STYLES of meeting. Public presentations are good, but many of the audience may be (like you) infrequent / casual visitors. Go to smaller (regular) meetings, if possible? Not pathologically shy, but I do have to "steal myself" to be sociable with complete strangers - It CAN take a BIT of personal effort? Astronomers can also be "thing" (rather than people) orientated... A bloke thing too? LOL. Think of a few QUESTIONS to ask? Persistence is ALL...

I was given "short shrift" by a couple of blokes. Apparently their detailed discussion of imaging was not for the "uninitiated". LOL. But a lot of people (locally) are of limited financial means - Their equipment (if any) may be no better than yours!

[Bluemoonsean]

I recently joined my local astro society and attended the first meeting. The talk on alien life was fascinating. I wanted to talk to the speaker but he was cornered by a couple of whack-jobs who believed that computer viruses should be considered complex life and firmly believed there was unequivocal proof that UFOs exsited and proved that complex alien life was visiting us. I left the speaker to fend them off

Everyone else was very welcoming, I'm sure the whack-jobs would be welcoming but they were very aggressive in putting their points to the speaker so I decided not to try and find out. The atmosphere was very friendly. I felt a bit out of place because it was a very old audience in general but it was a diverse group which bodes well for the future.

So my advice would be go along, you've got nothing to lose. If one of the group looks like Popcorn from Moonshiners (Bios : Moonshiners : Discovery Channel) don't ask him about computer viruses

Haha nice one. Il keep my eyes open for him!

Sent from my GT-S5570 using Tapatalk

[Carbon Brush]

My location means attending any astro club involves a lot of travel. So I tend to be one of those who spend long hours alone in the shed/garden.

However, having posted about the possibility of a negative club experience, I ought to balance the books.

East Midlands Stargazers. The long round trip has meant only one visit (so far). It was mix of observing and lectures. On arrival I set up my kit in the field, along with others. Everyone introduced themselves by the SGL names. Lots to remember here! It was really obvious that every scope was open to anyone to look through. Comments along the lines of 'come and look at the beehive' abounded. There was no hint of 'mine is better than yours' anywhere. There was even a battery shared between two mounts. The lectures (by members) were excellent. At the end of the night I was a little slower than some at packing away and some had already left. Then I realised a thoughtful member had put his car headlights in my direction to help me.

Great crowd of people with access to two dark sites. At 70 miles round trip, just a bit too far away for regular visits.

[MontyUK]

I hope you have more luck than me. I have attended several talks at my closest club as a paying guest £2 per session. All interesting and high quality but never had a conversation with anyone else there, apart from one lady. I am surely recognised but 'not one of them' so to be ignored. A few times I have even sat at the back, or very close to committee members. I recognise them, so surely they recognise me as someone who is keen enough to go to talks but hasn't actually joined.

The presenter at one meeting had powerpoint slides, I sent emails to 3 committee members asking for a copy and didn't even receive a reply, let alone a copy of the sides. So I resent the email with a read receipt: it was read but ignored for a second time.

Membership is not cheap as the society has a large observatory but I am put off by the joining fee - almost as much again, making first year membership around £60. And that is the period when you have most doubt so need encouragement. What is the joining fee for? To put off the riff-raff?

The membership is old (and I'm not young), they are on average quite a lot older than me, I am sure it must be declining through natural causes so I would have thought new members would be welcomed --- not the case.

In contrast I went to an open evening at another club. Very welcoming, keen to have new members and not stuck up their own backsides. Quite keen to help beginners and stimulate interest in astronomy.

Quite frankly, astronomy at our level is a hobby. Nobody, or only very few people are in positions to look down on anyone else within it as they themselves know relatively b$""4er all (unless Brian Cox is an expert make-up artist) - quite clearly from some of the basic questions that are asked at the end of talks.

This isn't my only interest, I do other things and belong to other clubs and have always tried to be friendly to new people at those. It is a shame that this club don't seem to want to let new people into their charmed circle. I doubt that I will be joining, but hey, they don't really want me to. I don't care how shy somebody is, there is no excuse for established members of any club not to be friendly and welcoming to someone new with a common interest. It's not difficult to strike up a conversation about something you like if you are the host on home ground. Harder if you are the visitor. And for committee members to do this says a lot about the club itself.

[Dave Dubya]

As mentioned above, each society is different in its aims and organisation. All you can do is visit your nearest one a few times and see how you get along. If it doesn't work out, try another.

We try to be as outgoing, sociable and approachable as we can. In the past couple of years we've seen outreach to newbs as being an important part of having a society - societies will die off if they don't spread interest and get new people involved. I know there are many others who do the same, and hopefully your local is one of them.

[steelyglint]

Just gonna drop anther suggestion in have you looked at the Society for popular astronomy (SPA) was thinking bout joining that one. They do lectures and stuff too