how did you become interested in astronomy

[essex sky]

how did you become involved in this wonderfull hobby

i have always been interested in science.

but what really set me going was borrowing 2 books from the school library. the young astronomers handbook by james muirden

and introducing astronomy by j.b sidgwick, around 1983

once i had read these i was hooked.

saved my pocket money and brought a pair of boots own brand 10x50 binoculars:D not as bad as they sound.

clear skies

lance

[yeti monster]

I've always had a passing interest, when Mars came close, many years ago, I bought my Prinz 84mm Newt off the local flea market. After a while the scope got stashed away and forgotten. Then last year I was lucky enough to see the total eclipse here in China and that rekindled my interests like never before.

I bought a Celestron 114mm newt then more recently a 10" SNT, for which I have built a Dob mount. Now I have EP fever and will be collecting the first 2 of my UWANs on Tuesday.

I have a pair of those boots 10x50s, which are really rather good, if a tad heavy, and my HUGE 20x80s which are even heavier, but they are tripod mounted, so not a problem.

[franticsmurf]

I got interested as a kid, through sci-fi. I loved all things 'space'. I wanted to know more about the stars and borrowed every book I could find about astronomy in the local library. They were mostly about the physics rather than observing, but I was fascinated.

Then a neighbour let me use his refractor to see Venus. I was amazed at how quickly it flew across the field of view (no electronic guidance) and we had to keep manually adjusting things. It was about this time that Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' was on and that helped to reel me in, too.

I asked for a telescope for a birthday but my dad (sensibly) got me a decent pair of 10x50 binoculars and I spent ages looking at the moon, the stars (the Pleiades was my first object) and even doing some sun-projection with them.

It was only this year that I was in a position to purchase a decent telescope. I still get a sense of awe when looking up at the night sky and I still have the binoculars (I was using them last night to look at the moon again).

Dave

[Astro_Baby]

For me it was Dad, he was good with navigation using stars and he could point out lots of stuff. Dad was always interested in astronomy theories and used to read a lot of popular science type books. I guess it rubbed off on me.

[GazOC]

I grew up with the pictures coming back from the Pioneer and Voyager probes and, looking back, I think they must have played a large part in my life long interest in astronomy because I don't remember get any other special encouragement at home or school to push me towards it.

[Phil73805]

FranticSmurf's experience resonates with my own. At a time when I was very into Star Trek I wonderd about what was visible in space from here on good ol' planet Earth. Now, around 5 years later, I've moved on from Star Trek...mostly but my interest in Astronomy is alive and kicking.

[glowjet]

Whilst at school we had a very good Science Teacher who encouraged our interests in space flight, assisting us with our first cardboard telescope, then came Sir PM and the rest as they say is history.

[rowan46]

My dad used to work at the typhoo tea factory in birmingham. One day he bought me back the complete set of space flight cards from the tea packets and I was hooked. but its only taken me 40 odd years to buy my first telescope.

[Tiny]

It's so long ago I have no recolection of why. Dad read scifi I started reading some. So maybe there is a link. Mind you dad also read what were then slightly sexy books and collected the odd unabriged victorian one. Later you could buy these at Smiths Waterloo with whole chapters there that were obviously cut from the originals.

Still reading scifi as a kid was easier than the other stuff - a lot of which I never got till years later. So it was scifi - space and I learned that looking up at the stars is fun. Amazing how many people think you are nuts to look at the stars yet there they are waiting.

[Ronseal]

My interest probably started as kid with TV series Space 1999, my brother had a telescope &I used to look at the moon thinking what it would be like. Only recently (30 yrs later!) have I decided to really have a look at the stars & learn the constellations - I've always been interested in "Space" documentaries & have seen most, this probably fuelled my interst in engineering too.

[Robert Watson]

Hawkwind, remember that band. Plus about 7 years ago my wife asked me what i wanted for my birthday the first thing came into my head was telescope . I got a 4" and now after 100'S £ i've ended up with a 10" dob which i keep adding to.

PS the wife say's she's sorry she did'nt buy me a coat for my birthday then.

Robert

[ollypenrice]

I was innocently riding my bicycle through Ecuador when the owners of a B and B took out a telescope. Almost on the equator, 12000 feet up, clear as a bell, Saturn, cresent moon... I was a doomed man.

Olly

[gliderpilot]

Having always had a passing interest in space, I took my gap year working at a boarding school in Canada when comet Hykatake (sp) went past. I borrowed a friends 10x50 binos and have been learning ever since.

Mark

[Cygnus]

not sure exactly, but round about the time (couple of years ago) i'd seen some prof brian cox documentaries and read a bit of an asimov book.

at first i became interested in physics, then astrophysics, then xenobiology...

[nicnac]

a childhood home under dark skies and all the sci fi on telly led to my first pair of bins then second, third so on so forth. then i got a telescope

[alowen]

My dad has always had telescopes and is a keen observer, i used to take the mick a bit but over the years i've become more and more interested and am just about to buy my first telescope.

Oh, and of late the 'wonders of the solar system' has been a huge boost to mine and my childrens interest.

Al

[Ford Prefect]

by sitting outside my mates house after too many beers in the early 90's, staring up into the sky and wondering is there anything out there.

[starhunter]

when i was 4 years old , my mom told me that i said " look the moon".6 years later i would be buying my first 60mm from Sears and my first look at saturn (by accident) looking out the window of my bedroom blew me away. I got my first Astro BUG BYTE...

40 years later the toys are more expensive but the LOVE never went away.

dats my story and im sticking to it!

:- ) Clear skies.

[AstroTiger]

Some people would argue i've had an interest on and off for over 20 years. Though i argue it was always there.

Halleys comet was what got my interest back in 86 though i had always had an interest in science before then.

I think there is an intruige and romance to the sky, with constant new things being discovered.

I know its a pain with the LP and with bad weather but as someone said some time ago, its when you see that object for the first time down the EP which is what makes it worthwhile.

You can probably have too much of a good thing as well.

I never did see Halleys comet in the end though, managed to see Hale Bopp and Kuyhutake (i know thats not the spelling!)

That i think is what got me hooked.

Now planning talks for OAS and robotic astronomy helps keep me going.

Hope to have a garden when i move later in the year.

[michaelmorris]

One word - "Apollo"

[LukeSkywatcher]

I was thinking that my interest was sparked by Halley's comet back in 1986 but i had already had a pair of 10X50 bins for about 4 yrs prior to that event.........so it couldnt have been that. All i can think of is that i must have asked my parents about something in the night sky and they didnt know the answer so they bought me the bins and a Philips planisphere.