Python-programming for astronomy.

[moonomaly]

Good stuff :

 

[SilverAstro]

Well ! what can I say, I have used Python(astronomically, on a variabe star) and I do know about Sloan*, but I am just an humble amateur, why is it that these days it seems to be a badge of honour that someone an 'astronomer' has not looked through an eyepiece? I switched off at the 'must mention Hubble deep field'  Anyone want to top&tail it and get to the point (in the title) ?

Maybe I am just a grumpy ol' astronomer that used to smoke a pipe ( not at the telescope!) that can do without being *patronised to engage my attention ?

Sorry !

 

[ronin]

Gave up part way through as he said little, not sure who the presentation he was giving was aimed at. The one thing I do agree with is that professional astronomers do not look through scopes. If lucky they visit the observatory where the data is collected but to an extent no-one looks through a scope. Data is collected on cameras and stored then processed, all Hubble images are processed data. If the EELT comes on line then there is not going to be a box of eyepieces sat next to it for use.

Sometimes some get to viist the smaller still optical observatories and take a look at the sky. But it tends to be a sort of break from the everyday processing of data. Or as it is sometimes known:: A jolly.

Engineers run the observatories, they likely have a selection of small scopes and it is likely the engineers (maybe cleaners) that use these in a spare moment. Kind of:: New Supernova in galaxy X, we are recording 4 hours of data on it lets go try to see it in the 20" while waiting.

Python, well have known of it for years, but really another language just turns me off. Have had thoughts on a small project for astro use on a Raspberry, but the idea of lets learn Python for it is actually a negative.

[pete_l]

3 hours ago, ronin said:

Gave up part way through as he said little, not sure who the presentation he was giving was aimed at.

That conference is really just intended for aficionados of the language: people who already use it but who like to hear other people saying how wonderful it is. And to hang out with other people who are all wearing the same tee-shirts.

But from an astronomical point of view, as you point out, it tells us that amateur astronomy is much different from professional astronomy. Therefore anyone who is thinking "I like looking through my telescope - I wanna go to university and study astronomy" will be in for a big shock. The profession is only about crunching numbers and analysing data. It's almost entirely an office-based job.

[SilverAstro]

My point was not that they (professionals) *should* look through an eyepiece, but that  they   he and many like him, seem to feel the need (badge of honour) to tell everyone that they dont. We know they dont *need* to ! 

Like I said - sorry!  Didnt do it for me.