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SGL is fantastic, but...........

Peco4321

By Peco4321
in The Astro Lounge

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Davesellars

Davesellars

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Knowledge doesn't cost anything (well, maybe a few books...) - only your own time and dedication.  Soak it up, read and question everything.  Don't be afraid to try new things.  This doesn't just go for astro-photography but also for visual observations.  Above all enjoy the journey and take it easy...  There's plenty of time. :)

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Stub Mandrel

Stub Mandrel

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The worst thing about this hobby is spending loads of time planning and coming up with ideas, then you get a clear night but you are knackered/a bit under the weather/stressed so you dip out and feel like a total fraud for not taking the opportunity.

I agree with Hawksmoor  though, the competition should only be against your best picture/view so far, not anyone else's!

 

My ambition is to get the best possible results from basic kit and make as many accessories myself as I can, which should save me money although it doesn't feel like it...

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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I'm still observing and learning after 35 yrs. Do i get frustrated?....YES. Do i get bored?....YES. Will i ever stop?.......NO. I never make any plans to observe and i dont keep any form of notes. I'll sometimes pick a target before observing and then go try and find it. Most of the fun is in the hunt.

If we all knew everything there was to know from the start, it would be a very short lived "hobby".

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Peco4321

Peco4321

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Great words of wisdom everyone, yet again.

I'm getting my head around the fact that this hobby isn't just about looking through the EP or taking pictures, it's also the enjoyment of planning, reading up on things, listening to podcasts, processing images, and communicating with you lot!  Every aspect is enjoyable and there is something totally mesmerising by just laying back in comfy chair and gazing up. 

I think I'm at ease now ?  Thanks all. 

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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3 minutes ago, Peco4321 said:

Great words of wisdom everyone, yet again.

I'm getting my head around the fact that this hobby isn't just about looking through the EP or taking pictures, it's also the enjoyment of planning, reading up on things, listening to podcasts, processing images, and communicating with you lot!  Every aspect is enjoyable and there is something totally mesmerising by just laying back in comfy chair and gazing up. 

I think I'm at ease now ?  Thanks all. 

For me personally, its pretty much all about looking through the EP. I do have some books,star charts etc but rarely use them. I dont do imaging,so nothing there to worry about. I'm not into the mechanics of telescopes or even the universe. I really do just enjoy the views. I'm still doing it all these yrs later.

I learn as much as i want to learn and then some more,right here on SGL. 

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cloudsweeper

cloudsweeper

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I'm a bit late in on this one.  I've been at it about 18 months, and soon learned there's a heck of a lot to it - the sky and its objects, the equipment and its usage, the physics.  And you read some of the posts and wonder if you'll ever know as much as the members here.  

But learning from SGL, the internet, books, and my own observations soon got me feeling confident and able to use astro terms and expressions, get more familiar with EPs, 'scopes, and technology, and track down objects in the sky.

It soon starts to come together, and it's fun all the way.  And, of course, the learning never stops!  

Doug.

 

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DHEB

DHEB

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21 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

I remember as a kid that every single night was clear and the stars were there doing what they do best.........shining down on me. I wish i could find the pair of rose tinted glasses that i seem to have worn back then.

Well put. I also feel like that every now and then.

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Peco4321

Peco4321

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Well, as the clouds roll in, I've decided to put some of my dead cherry tree to good use, the fire!  Pesky fungus has killed it, but it will clear some nice new sky for me when we get it chopped down. Just nicely sat outside trying to convince my wife to join me in this hobby over a few drinks. If you don't get it, you just don't get it so I think I'll give up. 

image.jpeg

image.jpeg

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barkis

barkis

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Buy yourself a planisphere, It will prove useful in familiarising yourself with what will be available 
in your night sky throughout the seasons, Easy to use too, you can locate the constellations, and the stars within them.
Star Maps you can acquire in time, they will be a big asset also.


Modern telescopes are often capable of finding specific targets using inbuilt technology, and the database within it's hand controller,
or even coupled to a planetarium on a computer. When properly set up, simply clicking on an object on the computer screen, be it a Nebula, Galaxy, or Planet, 
the telescope will slew to that object. There will be some tweaking to do, to get it behaving perfectly, but that is easily done too.
Which brings me to an Important requirement in Observational, and /or Imaging of the night sky, That is PATIENCE', If you don't develop that trait, you may 
well become disillusioned with this wonderful way of life,    (I refuse to call Astronomy a Hobby, It's much more than that, even for an Amateur).


All the aforementioned technology should not deter you from getting to know the skies at night, and all you can see from your site.
Familiarity has a big role to play, and when you have all that experience at your disposal, you will be very popular when you are working with a group of fellow amateurs,
and able to locate and observe object at will, without the aid of the in built technology.


Some might frown on this, and say why bother, when I press a button or two, and get it done.
All I can say is, you get the satisfaction of knowing you can do It. 
It is a long road to that goal, but determination, love of what you are doing, and PATIENCE' will get you there.

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johnfosteruk

johnfosteruk

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5 hours ago, Peco4321 said:

Great words of wisdom everyone, yet again.

I'm getting my head around the fact that this hobby isn't just about looking through the EP or taking pictures, it's also the enjoyment of planning, reading up on things, listening to podcasts, processing images, and communicating with you lot!  Every aspect is enjoyable and there is something totally mesmerising by just laying back in comfy chair and gazing up. 

I think I'm at ease now ?  Thanks all. 

Youve hit the nail plumb on the head there. That's what I've tried to focus on from the start. Knowledge and careful planning (I probably have 20 lifetimes worth of observing lists) That and pushing the gear I have to its limits. I've never felt justified buying new equipment until I've got everything out of what I have, regardless of the hobby. Oh and accepting failure - which is an inherent part of the scientific method anyhow. 

And as for the wife, you'll find something to get her hooked even if only with 10% of your commitment. For the present Mrs Foster it was Saturn a few weeks ago. 

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Phil Fargaze

Phil Fargaze

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4 hours ago, Peco4321 said:

Great words of wisdom everyone, yet again.

I'm getting my head around the fact that this hobby isn't just about looking through the EP or taking pictures, it's also the enjoyment of planning, reading up on things, listening to podcasts, processing images, and communicating with you lot!  Every aspect is enjoyable and there is something totally mesmerising by just laying back in comfy chair and gazing up. 

I think I'm at ease now ?  Thanks all. 

There has been times when I`m at a dark site star party with good conditions and the Milky Way is blazing overhead. The dob is set up, the Celestron is on the equatorial mount, the camera is ready and the laptop is on, but very often, I choose to just sit back in a chair and gaze up and admire what I can see with my own eyes. 

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Peco4321

Peco4321

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6 hours ago, Phil Fargaze said:

There has been times when I`m at a dark site star party with good conditions and the Milky Way is blazing overhead. The dob is set up, the Celestron is on the equatorial mount, the camera is ready and the laptop is on, but very often, I choose to just sit back in a chair and gaze up and admire what I can see with my own eyes. 

I think we are all guilty of forgetting to use the two most intricate , complicated, free yet priceless, items of optical equipment we all have, on their own - our eyes. The best wide field view of all. 

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michaelmorris

michaelmorris

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22 hours ago, Cinco Sauces said:

Completely understand the feeling. My two cents: always arm yourself with the amateur's two most important tools: patience and perseverance. 

Or to put it another way, it helps if you have the combination of a bit of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), the patience of a saint, and a good vocabulary of English swear words. :icon_biggrin:

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glowjet

glowjet

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Just think, by the time you reach the point where you have to call it a day, with observing and Astronomy in general, you will still have only scratched the surface. Learn and absorb what you can at your own pace and best, enjoy what you do, trying to get your head round everything all at once is a recipe for disaster :) 

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uhb1966

uhb1966

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On 27.7.2016 at 13:17, glowjet said:

Just think, by the time you reach the point where you have to call it a day, with observing and Astronomy in general, you will still have only scratched the surface. Learn and absorb what you can at your own pace and best, enjoy what you do, trying to get your head round everything all at once is a recipe for disaster :) 

Calling it a day??? A heretic! Quick, bring wood and oil! :evil7::evil7::evil7:

Ah... HAVE to call it a day... Sorry, i overread that... oopsy!
Well... guess thats why they called it inquisition ...


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_burned_as_heretics#/media/File:Templars_Burning.jpg

 

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