How many friends do you have in real life who share your interest in astro/space?

[Sedna]

I don't know many other people who are passionate about space or astronomy, and I'm wondering if anyone else here feels the same? It's really frustrating to have such a powerful interest but to know almost no one who shares it.

My wife is really supportive of my hobby but doesn't actually share it. For instance, she encouraged me recently to finally invest in an expensive (1K) telescope since she sees that it makes me so happy. So also went out of here way recently to get me the new Alan Stern book Chasing New Horizons (we are temporarily living in Europe where it's really hard to find). She likes seeing how happy space/astronomy makes me, but it does nothing for her herself.

I have a few friends who don't mind occasionally hearing interesting facts about space from. Sometimes they'll listen for a bit while I talk about how their might be life of Europa, but it's usually never something that turns into a deep, long conversation. Other times my friends just think my obsession is strange. When the first close up images came back from New Horizons, my friends where in the room when I checked the news. One of them actually just started laughing because my breathless reaction to seeing Pluto in HD was so intense.

My dad might be the person I know who is the most interested in space; my parents actually helped kindle my interest in space when I was really little. I went with my parents to watch the Great American Eclipse last summer, and it was good to have two people with me who also cared (though still not as much as I did ?).

But by and large, I really know no one who cares about what's out there beyond Earth's atmosphere. On the very rare occasion that I get introduced to someone who does, I never end up becoming friends. Usually there are personality differences or other reasons.

I debate with myself over how healthy my passion for space is. It's not rare for nerdy guys like me to have some super narrow and intense interest, but for lots of guys it's something like video games. What makes space so captivating for me is that it's real. Earth is just a pale blue dot in the vast sea of the cosmos. In that regard, I often feel that the social/human world is the video game, and I'm the one tuned into a vaster reality (I know that sounds really narcissistic). Sometimes I get a very "spiritual" feeling from looking at the night sky, a feeling of being part of something so much greater than myself.

On the other hand, I see my this interest occasionally making it harder for me to relate to other people. And after all, people are more complex than rocks in space, if one wants to look at it that way. The brain is the most complex system in the known universe. And as far as we know, Earth is the only planet with brains. There's a lot to like about Earth.

So, what do you all think? Is it common to feel this way in this community? Sorry if this was a weird post.

[Tim]

Plenty.

Use social media to cultivate new friendships with like minded people, not neglecting folk with more 'normal' interests for the sake of roundedness.

[Mr niall]

A couple - but I find chatting and learning on this forum the best thing that any amateur astronomer could ask for. Great bunch of people.

I have plenty of friends with interests that I have no interest in (football anyone? ?) but it’s not an issue. It’s just about mutual respect and finding an appropriate outlet for your obsessions(!). This forum is great for that!

[cloudsweeper]

Welcome to SGL, Sedna!

Most people who know about my passion for things astro think I'm a little crazy for going out in the cold and/or in the middle of the night, although they do have some degree of interest in what's up there.  The only person who truly shares the passion (inc. for physics and maths) is my son; my wife likes it when he and I talk, since it means she doesn't have to listen to it all.  (Not a criticism: she is very tolerant and supportive.)

So thank goodness for this great forum and the sharing of what we do with so many other like-minded people!

Doug.

[xtreemchaos]

I have loads of astro friends but there all spread all over the planet, 99% ive never met in real time but never the less I feel close to them through this wonderfull #hobbie, the internet brings people together who have the same interests and exspands our horizons.  clear skys, charl.

[cotterless45]

Non astro friends aren't at all interested. Sometimes I think there's a switch off mode if anything requiring a bit of effort is on the horizon. Its little wonder to me that the brains of Ice age folk were larger than present . 

My daughter ( teacher) says that when I get to 70 she's going to take all my junk to the tip. I asked her if that included me. Now spending the inheritance !

old Nick.

[Mr Spock]

None. I do know someone on FB who has a 12" Dob, but that's about it.

[John]

My family and friends are not really interested in astronomy. They take a polite interest and will look through the scope occasionally but thats about it. My fill of astro chat came from this forum including the annual star party plus occasional meetings at astro fairs. About 3 years ago I joined my local astro society and now most of the year can meet others who are interested in astronomy about once per week (less often during the Summer months). Thats been nice and I've met people who are interested in astronomy in many different ways as well as having opportunities to share the hobby through outreach events.

I have a tendency to get a bit obsessive about astronomy (I'm told ) so having non-astronomers in my close circle of friends and family is probably a good thing !

[Stu]

11 minutes ago, cotterless45 said:

My daughter ( teacher) says that when I get to 70 she's going to take all my junk to the tip. I asked her if that included me. Now spending the inheritance !

Get that will changed, pronto Nick!

@Sedna most of my astro friends are on SGL, quite a few of who I have met in person but it is pretty infrequent unfortunately.

Some cross over into more regular stuff; I count Gavstar as a friend who belongs to our local astro group so we meet fairly regularly. But the friendship started through astronomy, not the other way round. I suspect that is more likely to be your route to having friends who are interested in the same thing. You might have to be a bit more open to accepting differences in order to build on the common interest. By that I mean our astro group is a small mottley crew of people who get on extremely well, but are all very different and highly unlikely to have ever met or spoken without astronomy. It is an excellent bridge builder and having the common interest opens up all kinds of non astro related conversations which I really enjoy. We also care about what happens to each other so that counts as friendship to me now.

Most, if not all my other friends have a passing interest if I raise it, but soon drift off into, say, watching the paint dry if I go on too long

[Knighty2112]

Non In real life, although my brother recently caught the Astro bug (imaging mostly) so we do talk astro stuff most when we meet up. I find SGL a much better place to converse with people who share the same passion. I do talk a little to colleagues at work about astronomy when any opportunity arises, but normally not to any great depth as anything to in-depth they tend to switch off.

[carastro]

I have some friends and some of hubbies friends who take an interest, and some have come round to look through the telescope, but none of them have their own equipment.  My son is very interested and I think one day he might actually accompany me to one of my astro camps as he likes camping too, but he is too busy with singing in his band and other interests at present, so it is nice to be able to talk to a few people about simple astro stuff and they admire my images.

Then there are the friends I have made in the local astro group and of course my regular weekends away at astro camps (which I organise), have roped in some members of SGL into this too, plus Kelling Heath and this lovely forum.  I frequent some other forums as well but they have become very quite of late, but this forum always has some astro chat going on.

So luckily I do have a fair amount of astro related inter-action.  Hubby is not interested but he is happy for me to follow my hobby and we have other mutual interests too.

Carole 

 

[beka]

I have a few friends that are supportive of my hobby but are not themselves interested. I don't have friends or acquaintances (or know any people) that are passionate about Astronomy, Science or Maths. Two people that I was able to discuss almost anything with were my late dad and older daughter (who is abroad now for higher education) This forum is great but I think it would be good to be able to meet directly to share thoughts, observe or do outreach events with. 

Cheers!

[Mark at Beaufort]

The annual SGL star party is a great way to make new friends. Since SGL4 I have met so many members who have become friends and we meet on occasions - Astro Fairs etc. In addition I am Chairman of my local astro society plus I organise the monthly observing sessions so I have met so many new friends with that.

Finally I am a playing member at my local squash club and I often get asked about astronomy matters usually in the bar. I have many social friendships from this area.

[Grotemobile]

None. I do show people the images I have taken , but when they ask how it 

was done they quickly loose interest. I think they find it totally boring.?

I think it could be the way I tell them. ?

 

 

 

[wookie1965]

I am very lucky my mum,brother and best friend are all into astronomy in fact it was my best friend 35 years ago that got me into it. My brother has got 20x80 binoculars on a tripod I send him regular stuff look at and he comes mine every now and then to look through my scopes. I bought my mum some 8x42 binoculars and a book on binocular viewing with charts and I take her print outs of whats out for her to view. My best friend comes down when he gets free time and we have planned go camping next year crossed fingers get clear skies. 

I have quite a few SGL friends several who I have met but unfortunately too infrequent. 

[Peter Drew]

Most of my life has revolved around astronomy, I met my current wife at an astronomy club!. Most of my good friends are very interested in astronomy and most of the people I meet are through the Astronomy Centre and they don't visit unless they are interested. I do have lots of other interests when I can find the time.  ?

[scarp15]

When on infrequent occasions I get to visit my parents who live in Lancashire and are both in their eighties, I take a telescope. Oddly I try to plan a date when there is a good lunar or planetary phase, since showing them the moon through an 8" dob, they, particularly my Dad looks forward to another look, as I think that they were quite blown away. Established friends are keen cyclists and walkers, which is great as, to an extent I am to, friendship by association is forged through engaging in this forum, for anything else, there are star parties, astronomy clubs, or for more companionship just plan to meet up with folk on here.  

[Gina]

There are a few people locally who are interested.  In fact a local social group for the village here and another a couple of miles away are interested enough that they jumped at my suggestion of giving a talk on astro imaging.  I must have been out of my mind ?

[tomato]

I have a friend at work who is fascinated by the night sky but doesn’t feel the need to take it further by buying loads of expensive equipment. I regularly send him my latest attempts at AP, his son seems to be impressed and puts them on his phone as a background screen. 

The Internet has allowed people with shared interests to  come together, on balance I think that’s a good thing.

[goodricke1]

Definitely we are looked on as being a bit nerdy, my colleagues would express a polite interest but you can see their heart isn't in it. Also I tend to find my fellow astronomers to be somewhat quirky and eccentric, which doesn't really appeal to me as I'm fairly straight down the middle. So you can see my cosmos obsession is something of a solitary pursuit! But that's okay, everything in the Universe is relative anyway...

Great post @Sedna

[Tim]

Worth noting that even some of my astro friends, if I start to go into detail about the finer points of what I enjoy doing, ie, taking long exposures of random sky areas and just seeing what comes out, just for pure interest, I can see their eyes start glazing over 

[geordie85]

None, but then again I only have a handful of friends. I struggle with people and have been told I'm a rather strange and awkward fellow. 

It's a miracle I have a wife, but she's pretty damn sure I suffer from aspergers syndrome, which to be fair would explain alot. 

[mikeDnight]

I had three until one  (Philip) sadly popped his clogs in April last year. Now I have two (Paul & Derek) who I observe with reasonably regularly and who have the same love of visual as I do. I don't often go to my local astro club as my local seeing is generally better at home, but there are a couple of outstandingly nice guys (Peter & Andy)there when I do, that I can add to my true friend category. Real friends are rare, so it wouldnt surprise me if most astronomers could count their real friends on one hand. 

[brrttpaul]

None they all think im weird, all interested in it though just not macho enough for them but I know they closet stargazers I will assimilate them in the end 

[farcrowd]

So like me, it seems like a lot of us don't have real-life friends whom we can talk to about this subject. I've only been digging into astronomy for a couple of months, but I've always been very science-minded person, and I'm a total nerd so it wouldn't matter what the subject is...it's difficult to keep people engaged or interested in discussing it.  This is one reason I just joined this forum.

I've also recently joined my local astronomical society, and I've met a few people there already that have very similar interests to me (one guy is almost me exactly...), as well as having the same problems of their personalities being just different enough that it's difficult to fit-in a lot of places. I was there two nights ago for a public viewing night we were having, and it was the best I'd felt in a long time. A very wide-range of people, different ages and backgrounds, all having something to engage in and discuss. Introverts, extroverts, nobody cared - we were all there to enjoy. I will definitely suggest finding a local astronomy club or society.