What kind of astronomer are you?

[Ags]

I am delving in to the social sciences tonight, trying to identify the secret tribes of astronomers. What is your astronomy spirit animal?

Edited September 9, 2021 by Ags

[ShrewView]

I've just cast my vote but was looking for another box 😕

The one that said

"Frustrated as its always cloudy!"

[kev100]

Not so very long ago I'd take every chance I could to get out under the stars, even on a week night, but age and illness mean that I'm usually in bed by 10 these days, unless I really make a big effort. Definitely a slacker astronomer these days, but even the term astronomer is an uncomfortable fit. More like a slacker night sky enthusiast

Kev

[Stu]

I’m not sure I fit into any one category. You could rightly accuse me of being a gear head, but that’s only to try to get the best views possible. I could also be described as a butterfly astronomer because I don’t specialise in anything, I look at the Sun, Moon, planets, deep sky objects, double stars and the occasional asteroid or Nova/SN.

I prefer to see myself ‘just’ as a visual astronomer.

[BCN_Sean]

Not really any of them, my other half would say I'm a gear head as if I'm not outside I'm on the workbench building something, but as it is I'd say a "relaxational astronomer" because when it's time to get some calm it's certainly a more relaxing and enjoyable few hours than being plonked in front of the tv.

[wornish]

Think I am a butterfly astronomer.  Been struggling with planetary imaging for over a year and finally getting to grips with it.   Last night went back to deep sky but forgot how l-o-n-g  it takes.   It doesn't take much to put me off going outside these days.  Keep looking at new kit but so far have kept my wallet closed.

[ONIKKINEN]

Id like to think that I'm an astronomer's astronomer and a butterfly astronomer. I do want to learn something from the target that i image by looking at the image i took so the target is always the priority, not so much how pretty the target is. Of course if its both then that ticks all the boxes for me. Galaxies are my thing and you can always tell something about a galaxy as long as its not a tiny pile of pixels in the corner.

But the real choice is missing from the list: Weather forecast enthusiast.

[Ricky Graham]

I seem to have been sleeping split shifts since I got back into this. I’m in a habbit of going to bed at 7.30pm and getting up at midnight. Out from 12-4 then a couple of hours before heading for work 🙄. It’s turned into a real habbit 🤣

[Luke]

For me it's a bit of everything, I suppose. I did have a strong preference for the sun for a while, and got quite hooked on solar imaging and a touch of lunar. But then I had a problem with my solar filter and the replacement wasn't as good (which taught me a long warranty is not always as good as it sounds) and I gave up on the imaging. Quality h-alpha filters for medium-sized refractors don't come cheap, alas!

I'm still very fond of the sun but got back into the night time stuff last year and I am really looking forward to the new season. We got some nice views of Jupiter, Saturn, M13, the Ring Nebula and a few other targets the other night. A little shootout between an Edge 8 and a 120mm Equinox frac. I was surprised how well the frac did and would like to compare them again a few times this season.

 

 

[DaveS]

Don't fit into any of them as I'm a bit of an obsessive imager who likes to go deep, 20 to 30+ hours on a single target and pull out faint tidal tails. But don't consider myself an astronomer's astronomer as I don't do spectroscopy / radio astronomy.

[Pete Presland]

Definitely a cross between a Butterfly astronomer, doing a bit of everything and a Nostalgic astronomer, who is trying to relive the first observations of youth 🙂

 

[Lariliss]

A ‘butterfly astronomer’ would be the closest one. Currently mostly LEO and weather inclined. Though most of my effort is going to data analysis and methods (in the Solar system and far beyond). I like gazing at stars and I like working with tables. I see the light at the end of the tables