Beginner astronomer (also aerospace engineer student) looking for some helpI

[gcastaldi]

Hi all,

  I'm a mechanical engineering undergraduate student, concentrating in aerospace and hopefully getting my masters in aerospace in the future (my school doesn't offer aerospace, that's why I'm not currently an aerospace engineering student).  I've recently become really interested in astronomy, and with my mechanical engineering side, its making me fall in love with the idea of aerospace engineering.  But I'm somewhat of a beginner, and i say somewhat because I've always had an interest in the subject but just never had the real motivation to get deep into it.  I'm ready now though and the motivation is kicking my butt into gear and making me want to learn as much as possible.  I'm just not sure where to start.

  I'm constantly doing research trying to learn more but i just feel like I'm all over the place and don't really have much of a direction.  So I'm looking for some advice. I've read the stickied post for beginners, but I'm still looking for some more specific advice.  I've thought of simple things for myself to get started, like magazines to subscribe to, and books to buy or rent, but everywhere I look, there's so many to choose from and i don't know where a good starting point would be.

  I'm also looking for things that aren't JUST astronomy.  Considering i want to go into aerospace engineering, it would be really cool to find something that might be a little more directed towards that too.  

  Any advice would be helpful, just some genuine advice on how a how a 19 year old guy who's never had the opportunity to get into this subject but really wants to, can get into it. Any magazines subscriptions or book suggestions?

-Thanks

[Digger1895]

Sorry I can't help you on the engineering front. I want to say go out and buy an 8" dob, but you haven't given us much to go on like price range, do you want to do astrophotography, is portability a factor etc.

I'd advise to go to a local group meeting and have a butchers through a few different types and sizes of scopes.

A good book to get you going is Turn Left At Orion.

There's some great free software out there like Stellarium for a PC or laptop, or if you have a tablet or Smart Phone there's Sky Safari (for the free version on iPhone/iPad look for Celestrons SkyPortal).

Give us a bit more to go on and you'll find everyone will be willing to help.

[NGC 1502]

Hi to you in the USA, and welcome to SGL.

As mentioned in post #2, we really need a bit more info please, to point you in a relevant direction.

At my local club, we are a diverse group (that's good) who's interest varies greatly. We have visual observers, imagers, armchair members (books online etc), space travel enthusiasts, DIY telescope builders, casual, obsessed !!, and each of these can be sub-divided into other groups. For instance, I'm a visual observer, and that can include solar system - planetary, asteroids, lunar, meteors, or deep sky - clusters, nebulae, double stars, galaxies. And then there's low tech (manual star hopping to find things, or go-to technology........

Many will have a general interest in some or all of the above.

As mentioned, "Turn Left at Orion" is great. Maybe a visit to a public library could help, or peruse this forum, or there's the USA based "Cloudy Nights" forum that has sections on all aspects of astronomy.

So maybe have a think, let us know, and folk will be happy to help.

Regards, Ed.

[DaveS]

As far as magazines are concerned, as you're in the USA "Sky and Telescope" comes immediately to mind. When I was your age it was pretty much the only astro magazine available, even so I had to go to my local library to read it. The only reason I don't take it now is because there are more UK based magazines available.

[Dave In Vermont]

I also highly recommend "Turn Left at Orion." That's a great place to start. For magazines,as mentioned, there is Sky & Telescope:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/

And there is Astronomy Magazine:

http://www.astronomy.com/

Those are the main magazines in the US. Both are very good with a pretty equal split of opinion as to which is better. And downloading Stellarium and Cartes du Ciel (it's in English - the link I'll give you) will give you two excellent planetarium-programs to help you learn the night-sky - and so much more. Both are totally free!:

http://www.stellarium.org/

http://www.ap-i.net/skychart/en/start

So welcome to SGL, and the endless Universe of astronomy!

Clear Skies,

Dave

[gcastaldi]

Sorry I can't help you on the engineering front. I want to say go out and buy an 8" dob, but you haven't given us much to go on like price range, do you want to do astrophotography, is portability a factor etc.

I'd advise to go to a local group meeting and have a butchers through a few different types and sizes of scopes.

A good book to get you going is Turn Left At Orion.

There's some great free software out there like Stellarium for a PC or laptop, or if you have a tablet or Smart Phone there's Sky Safari (for the free version on iPhone/iPad look for Celestrons SkyPortal).

Give us a bit more to go on and you'll find everyone will be willing to help.

Hi to you in the USA, and welcome to SGL.

As mentioned in post #2, we really need a bit more info please, to point you in a relevant direction.

At my local club, we are a diverse group (that's good) who's interest varies greatly. We have visual observers, imagers, armchair members (books online etc), space travel enthusiasts, DIY telescope builders, casual, obsessed !!, and each of these can be sub-divided into other groups. For instance, I'm a visual observer, and that can include solar system - planetary, asteroids, lunar, meteors, or deep sky - clusters, nebulae, double stars, galaxies. And then there's low tech (manual star hopping to find things, or go-to technology........

Many will have a general interest in some or all of the above.

As mentioned, "Turn Left at Orion" is great. Maybe a visit to a public library could help, or peruse this forum, or there's the USA based "Cloudy Nights" forum that has sections on all aspects of astronomy.

So maybe have a think, let us know, and folk will be happy to help.

Regards, Ed.

Ok I understand, sorry I didn't provide more info.  The reason I didn't though is because I'm not really interested in buying a telescope just yet, considering I live in a dorm room, and also don’t have much time to spare in terms of going outside and setting up a telescope.  Next year when I move out of the dorms and into a house, chances are high that I'll be much more interested in buying a telescope and setting it up in our yard or something along those lines (my classes will hopefully be winding down next year also, so I’ll have more time).  

 

Right now though, I do have time to spare occasionally to read or do research, especially since I'm in the library and on my computer a lot nowadays doing work.  So basically like I said, I'm really just interested in expanding my knowledge on the night sky.  Learning the more general ideas so I can actually get started and find out the specifics that I'm more interested in, so maybe I can concentrate on certain areas more.

 

Also, a little more specifically, I want to learn more of the technical and science side of the sky.  How planets and stars are formed, why they are where they are, what certain ones consist of and the different types of things out in space. The technology used to study and travel into space and how the technology works.

 

Does some of this help? Let me know if there's any more info I can provide.

 

Thanks

[NGC 1502]

Hi again, thanks for the info.

Here's a good link that will get you started with star formation http://science.nasa.gov/astrophysics/focus-areas/how-do-stars-form-and-evolve/

Loads of further links in there also. No end of stuff out there to learn, at whatever academic level you want to be at.

Best regards, Ed.

[jefrs]

Being a student, going from high school to university college, the main difference is now you have to learn how to learn because at school it is spoon-fed to you, now you have to research your own material.

It's no good going at it like a fart in a colander, every hole at once, you have to decide what it is you want to study: you have to pass a course and your tutors should be advising you.

I'm a retired physicist-engineer. A bit of my work went into Concorde and NASA's space shuttle. Astonomy is physics but astrophysics is all heavy-duty mathematics (except they can't do statistics). The physics came from college, the mech/elec.eng from earlier apprenticeship and garnered through work later with a side-order of polymer chemistry.

Keep at it but focus, put everything else aside until you graduate. Good luck.

[jefrs]

Ok I understand, sorry I didn't provide more info.  The reason I didn't though is because I'm not really interested in buying a telescope just yet, considering I live in a dorm room, and also don’t have much time to spare in terms of going outside and setting up a telescope.  Next year when I move out of the dorms and into a house, chances are high that I'll be much more interested in buying a telescope and setting it up in our yard or something along those lines (my classes will hopefully be winding down next year also, so I’ll have more time).  

 

Right now though, I do have time to spare occasionally to read or do research, especially since I'm in the library and on my computer a lot nowadays doing work.  So basically like I said, I'm really just interested in expanding my knowledge on the night sky.  Learning the more general ideas so I can actually get started and find out the specifics that I'm more interested in, so maybe I can concentrate on certain areas more.

 

Also, a little more specifically, I want to learn more of the technical and science side of the sky.  How planets and stars are formed, why they are where they are, what certain ones consist of and the different types of things out in space. The technology used to study and travel into space and how the technology works.

 

 

Does some of this help? Let me know if there's any more info I can provide.

 

Thanks

Next year when you move out of dorm you won't have any money for telescopes. On the grounds no student ever has any money.

You may be on the wrong course. Talk to your college re your interests.

You don't say which college? Whereabouts?

Does your college have an observatory? Many do. Try to get some time there or at least talk to that department.

Your college should have a library, this should be like a kid let loose in a toy shop.

Colleges often have interest groups like astronomy societies.

etc etc