Astronomy: Cost per hour?

[great_bear]

"Different" question: Have any of you ever worked out how much astronomy is costing you (in apportioned equipment costs), per hour of observing time?

[Mel]

A more interesting question for imagers - how much does each image you produce cost? Obviously over time the price goes down but I reckon with my 20 or so good images over the last couple of years I'm looking at around £300 a piece? Of course the enjoyment of using the equipment and being out there 'doing' astronomy should be factored in somehow but it's still a frightening statistic!

[MG1]

I prefer to think of cost per sub....then it's more into pennies....maybe?

But either way, the satisfaction is priceless.

[johninderby]

It might not be a good idea to work out how much it actually costs.

John

[Euan]

I shudder to think

That cartoon is spot on

[mark7331]

I've just done the sums. I only have 1 image (and that's not very good ) It's cost me more than it would to buy a small car!!!!

That said in all honesty the pleasure of seeing and capturing, even bad images, is priceless.

[starstalker]

as an ex **** fisherman, i can say that price per hour in astronomy is a lot more economic than price per fish /fishing tackle!!!

thats to say i get more hours of observing than i ever did catch fish!! lol

[FraserClarke]

If it makes you feel better; large professional telescopes typically cost about 1$ per second to run...

[Euan]

as an ex **** fisherman, i can say that price per hour in astronomy is a lot more economic than price per fish /fishing tackle!!!

thats to say i get more ours of observing than i ever did catch fish!! lol

What were you fishing? It's too rude for this place

[Beulah]

Approximately £45.60 an hour.

[John]

I use the same cost v's benefit analysis method that the government use for their IT investments - therefore, despite a substantial outlay, way in excess of my original plans, over a much longer timescale and meeting an entirely different set of needs than originally specified, my investment is delivering huge benefits, albeit entirely unquantifiable, every minute of every day

[starstalker]

lol it wont let me type c.a.r.p

[RikM]

About £8.50 per hour for observing this year so far. This is scope, eyepieces and cases vs. my logged hours in my observing note book. Not going to tell the wife about this....

Rik

[Si W]

Since i only got back into astronomy just under 2 years ago, and had to buy everything again from scratch, i'm looking at about, £15 an hour, i suspect that price would be a lot lower if it was'nt for the bad weather we've had, certainly the last two summers.

I suspect there are a lot of people on here in the same boat who have just got into astronomy.

[sgazer]

well, as no one has said it yet, I reckon the cost is "astronomical" !!

[Demonperformer]

Now I have a fiscally valid reason for complaining about the cloud cover ...

[modelman1968]

As I'm still waiting for my first telescope to arrive from the dealer, but they've already charged my credit card, I think I'm in a state of negative fiscal perpetuum. [removed word]!

[Euan]

If I added up the hours worth of imaging I have done, I have no doubt it would come to some silly number

The most important thing is the amount of time I have spent browsing forums, learning various things, experimenting with kit, building my own kit, admiring other peoples work, meeting new people and spent time having a fascinating hobby more than makes up for it

[Astro_Baby]

At a really rough guess I have about £5k of gear. Total obs time is probably on the order of 4 hours a quarter for 3 years plus 5 full nights at SSP (thats for all SSPs I have been at) at 5 hours per night.

That runs at £68 an hour but I would add in the fun writing guides, taking stuff to bits, the room decor aspects of some of the kit. The friends I have made and all of that is priceless really.

[Aldebaran5]

Its a bit like the government really, we throw money at it and sit back and watch what happens. But to see an object for the first time is priceless.

Keith

[george7378]

I have only paid around £17 for some solar film towards my astronomy hobby (plus the £150 for my camera, but that's not only for astronomy) as I got my scope, mount and motor drive for Christmas, so I probably have a very reasonable rate.