Astronomy and aging....

[Atacamallama]

It occurs to me that astronomers are always talking about getting old, or what their age is....It really is noticeable we do it more than any other group of people I know. I notice at my local club, in people's forum posts, astronomy books (e.g. Uncle Rod Molise is always saying how old he is).

Why is that?

[Capricorn]

It is I suppose a "quiet" hobby.

Youngsters usually want to do something more active.

It is done at night, meaning cold.

It is a very stationary hobby, not a lot of running round.

As you get older things don't bend and work as well.

In the cold they bend and move with more difficulty still.

Ever see an astronomer doing stretching exercises before they start observing?

Bending over an eyepiece then straightening up makes you realise that joints and muscles simply aren't as flexible as they once were.

Eyesight deteriorates with age, kids generally can see a lot more with their eyes.

So we stand there in the cold with stiff muscles, stiff joints and with deteriorating eyesight. All signs of getting older.

Have you read the posts of people finding they can no longer lug around that Mega Dob they bought?

[omneferuss]

I think perhaps there's a bit of "one foot in the grave" about it for those of us who've come to it later in life and wish we'd "turned-on" to it decades ago! (although, it was narry so affordable back then!) Like lots of other things now available to the youthful and prosperous, the gear today is lightyears ahead of "when we were young"... it can make you feel decidedly neolithic by comparison!

[yoda]

Hay speak for your selves I am only 34 LOL ( still get a stiff neck thow).

[Peter Drew]

There comes a point when there is more to look back on than forward to, hence the popularity of nostalgia. Nothing to worry about. Untill you get old! .

[NickK]

Lol.. 38 this year..

[Nillchill]

Technically I am 13.7 billion years old!!!

[brantuk]

The older we get, the more we talk about how old we're getting.

I'm 13.7 billion, 56 years and two months old, technically lol

[Capricorn]

13.7 billion would mean you are made of hydrogen and possibly helium. The heavier bits, carbon, oxygen etc, came about from the odd super nova our elements were involved in.

Probably no more then 8-10 billion years old.

Read that we are never more then 6 or 8 years old. Everything in us keeps getting renewed over that period. So I am sticking to 6. About right mentally.

[Nillchill]

And those atoms are made of sub particles and prior to that energy ............... which date back pretty much all the way to the start.

I'm sticking by my statement, for the moment, until they find out its much older that that

[marcdearn]

It may be that we are more aware of the infinite than others??

And how short a period we are here?

Indeed how short a time our planet will be here? etc etc?

[LukeSkywatcher]

It may be that we are more aware of the infinite than others??

And how short a period we are here?

Indeed how short a time our planet will be here? etc etc?

I'd agree with that.

[Neilius]

38 in 2 days. Overweight and out of breath! But still willing to suffer a few aches and sprains for this hobby

[LukeSkywatcher]

Out of breath just sitting there typing?

Dude you need to see a doctor or an undertaker. Whichever comes first.

[reddoss]

Read that we are never more then 6 or 8 years old. Everything in us keeps getting renewed over that period. .

Not everything, the proteins than make up the lenses of our eyes last a life time, and have to function properly for our life span if the lens is to remain transparent. If they don't - you end up with cataracts.

Unlike other organs in the body, the lens grow continuously through life. This is why when most people get to middle age they need glasses. By this time the lens has got so big, it is unable to deform (accommodate to use the technical term) and focus properly.

[NickK]

Read that we are never more then 6 or 8 years old. Everything in us keeps getting renewed over that period. So I am sticking to 6. About right mentally.

Yup the average is 7 years for all replaceable cells in the body to be replaced. So think of that next time doctor who is on!

[Macavity]

In a society which emphasises youth, looks, affluence, fame etc., "age" is all some of us have left?

As a writing style it becomes "old" rapidly? But equally, a little... whimsey, at the expense of youth, is fair! Reading around the internet (forums etc.), it slightly depresses me, that there seems to be such ANTIPATHY between the generations tho'. Media pantomime? But more than I remember, from my youth...

My personal thoughts / hopes re. aging (With a little help from modern technology?):

YouTube - Dylan Thomas "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" Poem animation

[brantuk]

Does all this mean that I need some sort of special diet then? In theory I suppose I could survive on galaxies and mars bars lol

[Atacamallama]

interesting thoughts....I see the point that in the cold night you do feel your age a lot more... a few minutes bending to look in an eyepiece and you are already stiff. Eyesight too....

I also came to it later in life, I've beein doing it full on for just over a year and I'm 52. I am surprised how few young people I encounter on the circuit.

And for the 13billion year vision of things, yes it makes sense at our time of life immersing oneself in this astronomical dimension to ease our own anxiety of our nearing bedtime with a sense of wonder....

[bish]

I mainly moan because when I was a kid I lived in a village with no light pollution and had really good eyes. I feel like I didn't take advantage of those things even though I was interested in astronomy.

[Hypernova]

19 today and even I get a few aches when bending around to view in the straight through finder that I have on my dob. I don't think that anyone doesn't get the same with such a finder, right angled is the way to go

[JamesF]

I'm 44 next week. In my head, I'm the 21 I wish I'd been.

I fully intend to burn and rave at close of day (some might suggest I have a bit of a headstart there already), but will not rage against the dying of the light if the seeing is good.

James

[Neilius]

Out of breath just sitting there typing?

Dude you need to see a doctor or an undertaker. Whichever comes first.

Thanks. But no, I get out of breath when Ive walked a good 15 miles or so.

[msinclairinork]

Does all this mean that I need some sort of special diet then? In theory I suppose I could survive on galaxies and mars bars lol

hehehe!

I'm 26 next week. I would call astronomy an endurance sport!!

It's not easy sitting out in the cold for all hours of the night, I certainly feel pain the next day, so I can only imagine it will get worse as the years pass on.

P.S I'm British so I like a good moan anyway...it's like a second hobby for me

Michael