lost my mojo

[powerlord]

So... it's been a while. What with the terrible weather I've had few occasions to commit astrophotography, but the odd night that has been clear, I've just no interest. Having spent the last 3 years accumulating 20,000 quids worth of kit and building a bespoke 2 pier observatory in my garden..this is a bit of a set back. I've read of others over the years losing interest, and thought 'pah..that will never be me'.. and yet here I am.

There's a clear night tue maybe. So I'm trying to kick-start my interest again. Maybe a wide view with pons brooks ? Any other suggestions ? Sonething to really energise me into the hobby again ? I feel some of it might have been general crappy weather, S.A.D. and stuff..but if it doesn't come back I might have to face up to it. 😕 there's not a lot of other hobbies that cam make use of a solid concrete based roof off shed. 😳

Edited April 8 by powerlord

[WolfieGlos]

It certainly has been a trying number of months now, the cloud just seems to be endless.

It's probably a bit like going to the gym; you'll commit and go time and time again, and then if you stop, you find it hard to get the motivation back. But once you do, you'll be back and enjoying it 😀.

Fingers crossed tomorrow is clear (for you and everyone else) and gives you some motivation to get out there and put all of that kit to good use.

As a suggestion, plan beforehand to focus on one target, maybe a bright one that's easier to capture and that is visible all night long, so if it is clear all night, you'll have enough data to produce a decent image and think "yes, I've done it" and have a reward for your work at the end of it...rather than a multiple night image of a fainter target, waiting for the next clear night to finish it off. Or even put that SY135 to good use at F/2 and capture a nice, deep, widefield image 👍

[Elp]

Know exactly how you feel, you constantly think about the investment and whether it was worth it. But for me, even if the weather does drag on like it did from Feb to June last year, when you do get those photons, stack and do a histogram preview and get that sudden hit of signal on screen, it's amazing what you can do nowadays, and you don't even have to leave your house if you've got the facility to image from there. I learned early on to just keep collecting data until you've got a decent amount, whether it takes months even multiple years. I've been adding to certain past targets every season and slowly you get more and more signal (on emission) so for me doing this is also worthwhile. If there's certain obstacles for you to get there, assess and modify, it's one of the reasons I don't go large or heavy with my equipment as I know for a fact I won't use it.

[Fegato]

Yeah I've had similar feelings...  think the depressing weather is definitely part of it. And my clear 4 hours or so forecast for tomorrow evening has changed to part cloud, so I'm not holding my breath.

 

[LukeTheNuke]

Hmmm, that doesn't sound like the talk of the SGL Imaging Winner Galaxies 2023! I had a quick look at your gallery. Incredible stuff!

I'd suggest, have a look at your own gallery, read the words you wrote, and have a think about what it was that made you hungry to image in the first place.

Despite the challenges the weather brings, look at all those lovely images you made. What you are imaging is incredible. You've mastered a lot of challenges to get where you are.

It might not seem like you are getting much done now, but the evidence of how far you have already gone to date is there to see. It's easy to overlook what you've already achieved.

I hope you find your mojo soon. Oh, and maybe get another hobby that isn't weather dependent!

[RobertI]

1 hour ago, powerlord said:

So... it's been a while. What with the terrible weather I've had few occasions to commit astrophotography, but the odd night that has been clear, I've just no interest. Having spent the last 3 years accumulating 20,000 quids worth of kit and building a bespoke 2 pier observatory in my garden..this is a bit of a set back. I've read of others over the years losing interest, and thought 'pah..that will never be me'.. and yet here I am.

There's a clear night tue maybe. So I'm trying to kick-start my interest again. Maybe a wide view with pons brooks ? Any other suggestions ? Sonething to really energise me into the hobby again ? I feel some of it might have been general crappy weather, S.A.D. and stuff..but if it doesn't come back I might have to face up to it. 😕 there's not a lot of other hobbies that cam make use of a solid concrete based roof off shed. 😳

Sorry to hear this @powerlord - hang in there and don’t put too much pressure on yourself. It’s a very common problem and my experience is that it’s rarely permanent, and people find something to inspire them to go out again. I am also going through exactly the same luck of mojo  - I decided to have a six month break from work last September and one of my key goals was to do more observing - well strangely I have done hardly any observing during my time off and have had no desire to go out on the rare clear night. Just don’t know why. But I’m pretty sure my mojo will return and I’m sure yours will. 

[Clarkey]

I must admit to feeling a bit like this at the moment. I think it is largely down to the weather. I have spent a similar amount (maybe a bit less) on masses of kit and it is sitting doing nothing at the moment. Not only this but I have had nothing from Spain in the 3 months since Christmas. Depressing indeed.

I have just decided to keep the kit I have (no spending😬) and wait until next season and see what happens. If it as rubbish as the last 12 months, who knows.......

[Mr Spock]

We all go through this. Frustration with the weather doesn't help. Sometimes it's equipment.

I got tired of lugging an EQ6 outside, and tired of frequent poor image quality from the C9.25. I sold it all and bought a Starfield 102 on an EQ5 and that did it. Suddenly I was outside again having fun.

[Ags]

Even though you thought you could never lose your mojo, you're now falling into the same fallacy of thinking you'll never get it back 😃 You'll see, it only takes a little spark to relight the fire!

[saac]

Set it all aside for a year and come back to with renewed interest. 

Jim 

[mikeDnight]

 If you've stuck at it for three years you've probably been bitten by the bug, so even if you sold all you have, the passion will return with a vengeance.  You mention you have a double pier set-up, but are both geared for AP?  If so, why not dedicate one to purely visual and get that 90mm refractor aimed at the Moon. I know some say they hate the Moon, more likely they are scared of it because of its aweinspiring complexity, but it really is a jaw-dropping sight in a nice refractor, and why ignor it, after all it tends to be clear when the Moon is well placed. Even observing it through gaps in clouds can be wonderfully relaxing. It beats what's on TV - a truly alien world right on our doorstep. By dipping your toe in the relaxing world of visual astronomy from time to time might be just what's needed to relieve the burden that less than perfect nights might have on an imager.  Over the course of a year - every year - I have peaks and trough's in my enthusiasm, but I can guarantee that from January through to the end of May will be when I'm most enthusiastic, and that's because of the high Moon as seen from the northern hemisphere. The only other thing that has such a draw on me at anytime of the year is Mars. Together these two targets are my oxygen. 

 Even the instruments themselves can be a life-line. The late great David Sinden, one of the best telescope manufacturers the UK ever had, said that when he retired, he was going to build an observatory containing a beautifully engineered brass 6" refractor. He added " I don't want to look through it, I just want to polish it"! Sadly David passed away before he built his dream scope, but it shows that the instruments themselves can be play things and sources of entertainment, even when it's cloudy or raining.

 

Edited April 8 by mikeDnight

[Ratlet]

I find a greedy session helps if I've not been imaging in a while.  Don't worry too much about getting a target, but rather try to get a little data on a few targets.  Less of a blow if the session gets cancelled early or you have technical issues.  Sometimes it can be interesting to see what you can pull with only a half hour or an hour of data.

[Paz]

Everyone has different approaches to this, I have found a few things have helped me over the years. One is if I don't really feel like observing I don't push it, I missed loads of great observing opportunities during the early months of the covid lockdown when the skies were constantly clear as I just wasn't up for it at the time. Another is that I organise and fettle my kit so that if opportunities or half chances arise I am ready to take them with minimum effort. The last one is I have another hobby that doesn't depend on clear skies and I focus on that through the cloudy spells.

All of the above mean that in the long run I'm still motivated and I make the best of it when clear skies coincide with my mojo!

[ollypenrice]

What about relocating your gear to a remote hosting facility? I realize that this would leave your home observatory out of a job but not the rest of your kit.

(For transparency, I do some hosting but have no availability. Places in Spain are available, though.)

Olly

[callisto]

It's very common to lose interest in a lot of hobbies,

Me it was fishing, golf,the gym and even collecting Roman artifacts...but astronomy is the only hobby that has 'stuck' with me.

I say that but recently I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia!... never heard of it before.

I was feeling lethargic, pain in hands/legs and stomach area, I thought it was something more sinister but 2 years of testing showed I had this.

I'm on meds now but my mojo has severely dropped and because I simply can't lift heavy gear anymore.

So anyway, I'm trying to rekindle my AP side of astronomy with small equipment, DSLR & camera lenses to keep it light so I don't tire out.

Grab yourself a pair of binos and scan the skies to connect again 

Take care,

Mark.

[scarp15]

Sit tight put your astro gear to one side and just enjoy other (more amenable) hobbies. Keep a tabs on SGL and await for that potential spark of interest to come back. 

[nitram100]

I gave up on Astronomy in the UK a good while back, it's just an exercise in frustration. I only have the one scope and a camera because I knew any more gear would be worthless in this god awful country. 

It's my main passion and really gets me down when I can't enjoy it. I decided a long time ago in order for me to be happy I need my hobbies, so worked hard and got my austalian permanent residency about a year ago through my Nursing experience. I've been out a few times since getting my residency and blows my bloody mind how amazing they have it down there. I'm making the permanent move in about 6-7 months.

[Jonathan_Shields]

Next time just do some visual or EAA. Just enjoy the objects. Drop the focus on getting a perfect picture and just do what you feel like.

[tomato]

Sorry to hear that your enthusiasm for imaging has taken a tumble. I try to apply some reverse psychology to the UK weather and get a buzz from extracting any image, regardless of quality, from this almost permanently cloud covered island.

It’s adding to your equipment list but if “big AP” is getting you down, why not buy a Seestar? 
It’s hassle free imaging and the owners who post on here are some of the most enthusiastic on SGL. And you have the added advantage that if your mojo returns you won’t have to decide what next level of kit to buy.

[DirkSteele]

Started stargazing when I was a child so have been doing this for well over 30 years. This has happened to me a couple of times. The first time, I didn’t really stargaze until the mood took me and that was the better part of a year. Felt there was no point forcing myself if I was not feeling it. When the desire did emerge, I throughly enjoyed it and was very much back in the saddle. The other time, I did force myself out but I waited for a very clear forecast and had an amazing session which really re-energised me.

 

Both methods worked for me, though I suspect I got a little lucky with the good session charging my mojo again. I would not force it. If Astronomy is now in your blood, that desire will come back. Just a shame we have picked a pretty dumb hobby for climate we live in!

[900SL]

I can understand. Maybe get back to basics and take a vacation somewhere with dark skies with a lightweight rig?

It's been a poor season here in Finland. Checking the weeks forecast only for three months of unbroken cloud becomes an exercise in frustration.

I planned an observatory, but scrapped it.. I mean, what's the point for a handful of nights?

Instead, I've set up pucks fixed to the rock here, 10m from the house. I can drop tripod and mount into position and be focused,  PA'd and on target in 15 mins. Mount is not too heavy, and a 90mm APO. External power socket, and a mini router on the scope, so I can image from indoors. Makes a difference at -20c. I'm still out every clear night.. so the mojo is still going 

[PeterCPC]

I have given up on this year due to weather and health issues. I will see what happens next year. If it's the same the gear goes.

[dweller25]

Hello @powerlord 

It’s fine not to go out every clear night - that can be hard work - it needs to be FUN 👍

You are not alone the S.A.D thing is easily developed over the winter, but spring is here now and the weather is getting warmer 🙂

I would suggest a gentle reboot with a pair of Binoculars or perhaps use your 90mm refractor for some visual stuff. 

How about moving to a bit of Sun observing/imaging ?

As long as you enjoy it you cannot go wrong.

 

 

Edited April 11 by dweller25

[Concretedan]

I know how you feel mate. I've not used my gear in nearly three years.  I've not sold it and never will but I know when the time comes it'll be there waiting for me as will the stars.  Don't put any pressure on yourself.  Sometimes I just head into the garden if it's clear at night and have a look up and I know one day I'll reach for my stuff again and I'll be away.. until the next lull.  Just enjoy it for what it is, a hobby.  You'll get the passion for it again don't worry about it.  And as for money you've spent, well, you can't take it with you!  Just my opinion bud.

All the best.

Dan

[Space Hopper]

@powerlord Yes i'm exactly the same. I really am struggling with it all at the moment.

Total lack of enthusiasm. Just the one dark site session this year.

But i think lots of factors in play here. Awful weather, Bit of depression and seasonal adjustment disorder, shift work, declining health and eyesight,

and i feel like the last 4 years have sucked the soul out of me in all departments.

And yet, despite all of that, i still feel like buying a new scope /  camera & lens.......