Wind back the clocks 35 years?

[Radman40]

I was just reflecting in the bath about times gone by. Things have changed so much in Amateur Astronomy in the last 35 years which is when I first became interested in the sky. Back then telescopes were really expensive and hard to get hold of but now we have a huge array of instruments to choose from....so much so it is actually quite stressful actually trying to choose one! We now have digital imaging and can produce images better than professional observatories back then. 

What have we lost.....dark skies. It seems to get worse by the year. Also The Sky at Night is just not the same without Patrick Moore.

 

Where would you rather be.....now or then?

[Alien 13]

I think I preferred the old days when a 3 inch refractor or 6 inch reflector was the pinnacle of affordable technology, I have no doubts that in the future that mobile phones or the like will be able to track and do long exposures that better anything the professionals even do now.

I do however look forward to the first "digital" reflectors that can change profile at the touch of a button.

Alan

[Greymouser]

2 minutes ago, Alien 13 said:

I think I preferred the old days when a 3 inch refractor or 6 inch reflector was the pinnacle of affordable technology,

I agree, my just bought Celestron SCT, would have been but a thing of dreams back then. To think I started off with a cheap 50mm Achromat and got loads of enjoyment from it too!

[Saganite]

 I began my fascination with the night sky circa 1962, and could then only dream of the telescopes that I now own and use. The night sky has not changed, and though we suffer a lot more light pollution now, It is possible to find dark sky, with a little travel, so I most definitely would rather be here and now. 

[Roy Challen]

With all the technology available today, why wouldn't I want to be here now? Maybe a 76mm frac or a 150mm 'flec' was the pinnacle of affordable tech back then, but most people would disagree now. There is probably a greater requirement for better planning  (travel, work, life in general, etc.) ,  that for some may outweigh the convenience of back garden astronomy, but certainly for me, it is part and parcel of the hobby now as I only tend to observe when on holiday  (under really dark skies!).

[geoflewis]

I have 2 abiding memories of 'back then' in the 1950's and early 1960s.

1. As a young boy walking home from chapel with the family on winter Sundays evenings looking at truly dark, star studded north Norfolk skies, which instilled in me the love of star gazing that never left me...

2. Waking up on cold winter mornings in a post war 'prefab' with icicles formed from the condensation of my breath dangling from all the stud heads on the inside of my bedroom walls, having to get dressed under the bed clothes as there was no heating in the house until dad got up and lit the one and only fire in the front room.

Do I want to go back - no way....!! My south Norfolk skies are not as dark as 60 years ago, but still pretty good, however, I can keep warm as toast night and day 24/365 (even in my observatory warm room)....

Geof

[Gina]

Nor me either!

[bingevader]

16 hours ago, Alien 13 said:

I think I preferred the old days when a 3 inch refractor or 6 inch reflector was the pinnacle of affordable technology.

Not! My brother and I would have loved to have been more involved in astronomy as children. We couldn't afford it. We begged and borrowed to see what we could.

My nephew has saved very hard, but has just bought his first 'scope. How fantastic is that!

Yep, learn from the past, but always looking forward, not back.

[Radman40]

One thing has not changed which is the enthusiasm, friendship and support availble at most local astronomical societies. Technology has of course extended this via SGL.