how long does it take?

[adrastea]

I'm constantly impressed by the accomplishment, expertise and equipment knowledge of everyone on this forum. I have a question for everybody: How long have you been into astronomy for, and how long did it take you to feel confident about it?

[Grant]

I've only seriously been into Astronomy for about 2 years, before that (since I was a little kid) I've been interested, me and my dad used to stay up in the summer holidays and watch meteorites and I knew a few names of things and could find some constellations etc... I also had a little scope when I was a kid to look at the moon.

2 years ago I decided to get my dad a beginners scope for his birthday, at the time I was working with the company Ant used to work for and it came up about buying this telescope and Ant gave me lots of really useful advice - he mentioned he ran a forum and that's how I got involved...

It wasn't until I joined the forum that I began to understand just how much can be achieved relatively inexpensively in your own backyard without any specialist knowledge. I used to read Astronomy Now occasionally and was always impressed with the results but never really understood that most of the people taking those images were regular people with no specialist training and not millionaires!

I'm not at all confident when it comes to my astro knowledge but I enjoy sharing the bits I do know with other people, especially things that I have spent ages trying to figure out myself - if I can pass that knowledge on (like many others have for me!) to save people some time and frustrations then its a pleasure. There's also nothing better than showing somebody Saturn for the first time!!

Cheers,

Grant

[lunator]

I have always had an interest. But I didn't get my 1st scope until 3 years ago.

Cheers

Ian

[Ant]

I've been into astronomy since I was 11. (24 years)

I had about a 5 year break a while back and then decided that I had been foolish in selling all the kit that I had (sold the scope to buy a motorbike).

I can stand in the garden and talk to people about the stars and constellations till the cows come home, I can show them things in the scope and talk with reasonable confidence.

But where I fall down is the equipment side of things - I know almost nothing about what works with what etc.

It doesn't take long to know enough to help the next beginner and that the good part of the hobby.

Ant

[MikeP]

I've been interested for nearly 50 years but only bought a scope this year. I've just posted my first (solo) image - my two previous attempts were heavily assisted by CELESCOPE and CENTROID at the star party at Kelling.

Grant's comments epitomise the helpful attitude of everyone on this forum. Just overcome your initial nervousness to ask basic questions - everyone started as a complete beginner and know how hard it can be at times.

Have fun

Mike

[philsail1]

I've been using telescopes since I was 13. My first telescope was an ex WD brass gunsight of 7x50 magnification. I bought from the "Exchange & Mart" magazine for £3.10s (£3.50p). It came delivered in a huge wooden case. I made a wooden tripod for it, and had a lot of fun for some years. I used to watch the "Sky at Night" program regularly, and follow all the "space race" developments between the U.S. and Russia in the 60's. When a man landed on the Moon in July 1969 and that film "2001 A Space Odyssey" came out later in the year, I thought "this is it, we're on the threshold of a fantastic era! (sadly it all seemed to go downhill from then on!). Interest in astronomy waned as rapidly as interest in girls increased! Got married in 1970 - and have "always" looked back!

Seriously though, it's nice now the children have grown up, my mortgage is finally paid off and me and the wife have finally settled our differences, to have the time - but not enough money - to be able to re-kindle and interest in astronomy. It's great to see how the equipment has improved - and relatively speaking - is quite reasonably priced for what it is.

regards

philsail1

[Andrew*]

I've always read the space books and was fascinated by all the things that go on up there. My Dad used to take me out and point out some constellations and planets, but I always had a desire to "zoom in". I took a pair of Tasco 8x23 binoculars outside on one stunningly clear night (still the best sky I've seen from home) about 3 years ago and lay on my back and just gazed and gazed into the star fields. It was quite an experience.

In October last year I was browsing on eBay and found some scopes. Suddenly I just had to have one! I looked around for basic info online, learnt about telescope types etc and bought a 4.5" newt on an EQ1. Then found SGL and realised what I'd done! Still, it proved to be an excellent way to start the hobby, regardless of what folks say.

As for the question, it's taken me 1 year to know 90% of what I now know about astronomy. The trouble is, every day I realise how much more there is to learn, and now realise that I haven't even scraped the surface of what there is to know!!

Andrew

[Whippy]

To cut a long story short, I bought my wife a scope about 4 years ago and she never used it so I stumbled around blindly mucked around with it until about a year ago when all of a sudden, I just got into it in a big way. So IMO I'm still pretty much a newb and I'm still grasping some of basic concepts. But like all the best hobbies, there's always something new to learn and you could be stargazing 40 years and not ventured into whole areas of it. I'm not confident, but I like to think I know what I know and I'm not afraid to ask even the most stupid of questions.

Tony..

[MikeP]

I'll vouch for that. :lol:

Mike

[GazOC]

Astronomy has been pretty much my only 'serious' hobby since I was a kid. Over the years I've picked up enough to know that theres a lot I don't know...

I'm not sure I could pick the hobby up 'fresh' at 38, I think my brain has stopped taking in new information, I'm just lucky that what I do know has had 30 ish years to gradually filter in.

[themos]

I spent a couple of evenings (back when I was a teenager) looking up at the stars with a chart of sorts from a Patrick Moore tome dated circa 1972. That was back in Athens, Greece, late 70s. Then looked through an 8" reflector on the roof of the Blackett Lab, Imperial College, London, early 80s. Then nothing until my wife told me that a shop was closing down and they were selling some telescopes half price, that was February 2007.

[Kenny_10_Bellys]

I've been at the practical side for about 2 years now, and I'm still thick as a brick.

[daz]

Um, nearly 3 years at Christmas, I think. Maybe 4 - can't remember.

:scratch:

[DaveGibbons]

I've had a love affair with Astronomy and science in general since I was 12, blimey that's 36 years on now.I think we have all perhaps found the modern equipment side of things a little bewildering with goto's and ccd's the choices are staggering. Years ago you either had a 2-3" refractor or a modest 6" reflector.

The night sky and physics of astronomy is pretty much the same though. We are fortunate with what's on offer equipment wise but are all suffering information overload with the choice. Don't look at the glossy ads it's the road to ruin!

Dave

[The Warthog]

My interest in astronomy started when I was 8 or 9, and I could always identify the the major constellations, and tell whether there was a planet up there. I didn't get a scope until about 8 years ago, and have since owned 5, and still have 3 of them. Like others, I started with a 4.5" scope, and graduated to the scopes I have now. Having the scope, I had to get out more, and learned many of the constellations I hadn't known before, and some that I had always had to relearn when the season came around.

S@N for September had a seven day course in astronomy, which you could do, even if it takes a month with the weather, and get yourself a bit of a grounding. Get a planisphere, or use the current month's sky chart from any magazine, and get out there and learn the constellations and bright stars. There is endless variety, even if you are using binoculars, and even if you are viewing from a light-polluted city.

[Greg]

Well, for me .....

I've been interested in the subject for many years...Comet Hale Bopp did it for me..I still have the slides :shock:

I used to scan the heavens with a pair of 10X50's and Astronomy Now magazine..

Then 8 years ago we moved out to the sticks and it had a dark sky... :shock: My wife said that i should get a telescope... I then had a motorcycle accident a few months later and she bought me an ETX-70 to cheer me up..

I am in the process of taking some qualifications in the subject..

As for your question..(Apologies for rambling)..

and how long did it take you to feel confident about it?

I enjoy chatting about the subject ..I had a group around me at the Kelling weekend recently and I gave them a tour of the night sky with a Celestron CPC 1100.

Later a dedicated group formed around my Skywatcher 120 and manual mount...

So I feel confident with explaining the night sky and showing people how to get the best out of basic astronomy equipment such as binoculars and a reasonably modest set up as it's how I started..

And pretty confident on Solar observing....But there are guys and gals on here who are far better than me.. 8)

I think someone just called me a taxi...!

Greg

[Greg]

Sorry....

PS..

You never stop learning and it will take forever...

Toot..Toot...

[Talitha]

"How long have you been into astronomy..."

I've been an active Addict Amateur for a bit over 11 years. My interest/curiosity began in childhood, but lay dormant till mid 1996 when the opportunity arose to relocate under a dark sky. (There aren't any clubs or groups in this area and I didn't even have a computer till late 1999, so everything was learned from reading books and taking notes.)

"... and how long did it take you to feel confident about it?"

My brain is wired a bit differently than most, which means I often need to go over things a number of times before they 'sink in'. But once they sink in, my confidence level is 100%.

[Jeff RV]

My brain is wired a bit differently than most, which means I often need to go over things a number of times before they 'sink in'. But once they sink in, my confidence level is 100%.

I'm about the same, problem is it don't often sink in with me!!

I've been interested in astronomy for years but not seriously till i got a goto, then it got a lot more interesting, and with the info and help available on this forum i may actually get somewhere

Jeff.

[The Warthog]

I think someone just called me a taxi...!

Greg

Greg, you're a taxi!

Forgot to mention that I took a course in Astronomy at university in 1967. This was just after quasars had been discovered, before we had an idea what they were.

[Greg]

Greg, you're a taxi!

I have to say that my knowledge improved no end after I joined this forum...Astronomers aren't all stiff and starchy....Make it all more fun..

[michaelmorris]

About 2 years before I thought I knew anyhthng at all! Then I found out I didn't. I'm always learning. The more I find out, the more I realise I don't know squat!

[Kaptain Klevtsov]

Almost two years for me. The learning curve is quite steep, so you learn loads in a short time then bits and bobs sort of get tacked on.

Kaptain Klevtsov

[beamish]

An interest in all things astro related for yrs but 1st scope three yrs ago and like Kenny still thick as a brick ! Can vouch for KK too, the learning curve is near vertical !

Karlo

[Astroman]

I've been interested since I was 8 or 9, over 40 years. Got my first scope in '94 when I moved to a dark site. Still have it, but I've made dozens more. Some I have, some were commissioned, some were sold or donated.

The learning curve is steep indeed, but I felt confident in a year or so. I give astronomy/physics/telescope making talks around the area, plus I volunteer a lot for the public, so repetition is helpful. I must have described the physics of sunspots 20,000 times so far, and never get tired of it.

Oh, and I read a LOT.