Am i too old to start?

[gorann]

I clicked on this topic since I was curious to see if the question came from someone who was 80 or 90....... I was well over 50 when bought my first serious telescope. I think I thought about it when I was 25 but it was just too expensive to buy anything except toys in those days, before the Chinese brought prices down, and astrophotography would have been out of reach for my patience before the digital revolution.

[bmc]

The only thing too old is the one about the chicken crossing the road.

As a kid like most here, including yourself always looked up with wonder. It took me till I hit forty before I got to look further. And since then I have continued to wonder, not only to the sky, but why I never did it sooner.

Go get a scope!

[Sheila]

Now you made me feel old!

Put it this way, William Herschel didn't get into astronomy until he was 40. He's best known for discoveringUranus, but he also discovered two of its moons, two of Saturn's moons, double stars, and infra-red. He catalogued nebulas, showed that the solar system is orbiting the centre of the galaxy, and guessed that the fuzzy blobs he could see were other galaxies (although he never had chance to prove that.)

You've got 15 years head start on him.

Oh, and my mum passed her driving test at 69, and the Open University's oldest graduate was 93.

[Dannae]

I would go out and find a star that is 25 light years from Earth such as Vega in Lyra and feel the better for starting when you did welcome to the club.

Regards

Dannae

[Cylon]

Hello and welcome, like mny others have said you are never to old , i started much later than you.

Cylon

[theghettostylus]

I'm 32 now always had an interest in the night sky and got my first telescope around January I think.

I have learned more than I thought I would have in the short time I've had my telescope.

Haven't been out very often but you end up reading for hours when the clouds come.

Plus this site is full of knowledgeable people always willing to pass on what they know.

I don't think you're ever to old to learn anything!!! Knowledge is power and all that.

[gazaddy]

Too old.....I'm 47 and just looking to buy my first scope after a few years with the binoculars and good old eyesight

[Physopto]

Didn't start until I was about 56/7 ish. I do worry if I've enough time left.

Derek

[Piero]

Welcome to SGL! 

Wow, you got 82 replies to your first post so far! No many posts get so much attention! LOL 

Just kidding, looking forward to reading your comments! 

And feel free to ask all the questions you like. This is a nice community for sharing information about astronomy 

[Ptarmigan]

Hi Dave,

I'm not a troll. I'm sorry i made you feel that way.

So you say, some may disagree !

The only way of avoiding that perception ( amongst viewers ) is to participate in the discussion that you started, , ,

Else what is the point ?

In ancient greece there was a law passed to prevent people standing on corners gazing into the sky,

because others would pause there to look up and wonder,

eventually there would be a traffic jam (well the equivalent thereoff ! )

Me ? I made my first scope in '54 and confirmed Herchel's discovery of Uranus (!) amongst other interesting things.

I am still looking up.

[Ptarmigan]

Welcome to SGL! 

Wow, you got 82 replies to your first post so far! No many posts get so much attention! LOL

Perhaps cos there are too many old retired fa*s

withowt better to do with their time  >

wot me ?

shirly not !

[-Aldebaran-]

I think im going to start by learning star mapping with naked eye. A couple of months later i will buy a beginners telescope. If there's a better way to start, please let me know. Thanks.

I think SilentLee will return in a month or so when he's done with his naked eye star mapping.

Hi SilentLee, the best way to start if your saving to buy a telescope is to stick around on this forum a little more and get learning all there is to know about your interest in astronomy. You can only memorise so many star positions by then your going to need more useful guidance, such as a book or two , star atlas/constellation guides?

Don't be afraid to ask.

[Jonimac25]

Too old at 25? Wake up pal, you're still just a kid! I'm 40 next month and still consider myself young! The bodywork might need a bit of sorting out but mentally I'm still sixteen! (With far too many responsibilities!)

[Piero]

I have to say that this thread is actually quite interesting to me.

Beside a general interest in the universe, this hobby requires time, dedication, patience, a decent sky, and a fair amount of money.
All these things are somehow missing in the young generations. For instance:
- time can be little for many reasons (no specific order): study, parties, work commuting/shifts, family, kids, etc;
- dedication can be little: many people start hobbies/activities and then do not pursue them properly;
- patience is generally little: we live in a tremendously fast world where we want results with little effort and straight away. Really few young people (young/young adult) know the meaning of patience to me;
- decent skies are becoming rare: the majority of people live in condensed urban area where the sky quality is poor;
- money: thankfully nowadays astronomy is also accessible to many people from modest economical background.

Considering all these criteria, I am not surprised that many people in this hobby are older than 45-50. They finally have some time to dedicate to this hobby, they know the meaning of patience, and they saved some money from their previous years of work. All these things very important and I think we would live in a far better world if we slowed down a little bit and start appreciating more our interests.

To the Original Poster, I can only say:

No, you are not too old, or too young.

You are very welcome to join this forum, and don't feel shy at all to ask questions or to share your ideas.

Piero

[StargeezerTim]

I started at 58. If I can do it, you can!  Tim.

[des anderson]

Hi Lee,been doing it since sputnik,and still learning.Enjoy the ride......

[barkis]

Now then Lee, your thread has attracted 90 posts, all persuading you that 25 is not too old to delve into Astronomy.

Please tell us you are now actively engaged in this wonderful way of life, and busily trying to unravel the mysteries of  our mighty Universe  .

Whoops!, it's now 91 posts HehHeh!!

Ron.

[Dally]

When I read the topic title I suspected you were over 50 years old, obviously I was completely wrong lol. What I noticed with certain hobbies i.e. electronics is that they are pursued by either the young (10-18ish) or people soon to retire (50ish). I think this has mostly to do with people going through different phases in life, having more time, etc. The only hobby your age isn't meant for would be building sand castles

[Dally]

Also you're at the perfect age to start- at 25 you're at the height of physical fitness and should have little trouble carrying a heavy scope with you. Your eyesight is also likely to be excellent and by starting involving yourself in a hobby now, you're building new skills and knowledge that you may continue developing and using until you do actually get old and retire and have so much time on your hands you'd have trouble looking for something to do in all that time you have... Unless you stargaze, you c an spend an eternity doing it (unless you decide to remain in London).

[Moon-Watcher]

Didn't start until I was about 56/7 ish. I do worry if I've enough time left.

Derek

Same age as you dude.  Enough time for what?  Please don't worry.  Imagine if you didn't do it at all, but wanted too?

Cheers,

Mark

[Physopto]

Same age as you dude.  Enough time for what?  Please don't worry.  Imagine if you didn't do it at all, but wanted too?

Cheers,

Mark

That was a good few years ago

Still worried, probably with luck same in another ten years or so!

[Moon-Watcher]

I'm 25 now and i want to start again, not just stare into the deep sky, do it with a knowledge that i can pass on to someone else someday. But sometimes i feel too anxious because i feel like i'm too old to start, and that i wont have enough time.

Eh?

[Moon-Watcher]

Now then Lee, your thread has attracted 90 posts, all persuading you that 25 is not too old to delve into Astronomy.

Please tell us you are now actively engaged in this wonderful way of life, and busily trying to unravel the mysteries of  our mighty Universe  .

Whoops!, it's now 91 posts HehHeh!!

Ron.

Well, quite,

At least one "thank you SGL" would have done...

Cheers,

Mark

[Doolally]

I'm 25 now and i want to start again, not just stare into the deep sky, do it with a knowledge that i can pass on to someone else someday. But sometimes i feel too anxious because i feel like i'm too old to start, and that i wont have enough time.

Okay, so now i feel positively ancient... I'm forty and have just signed up because i'm thinking about getting back into it to. I had a little refractor when i was your age (centuries ago) and now i've got the bug again

[Snaxmuppet]

SilentLee is awfully silent. No post since the OP. I suspect he might have just given up on the whole idea?