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[BigTenInch]

I was wondering how you folks approach the hobby. I guess you could say I'm a casual Astronomer, and not too detail focused. I enjoy discovering new things, and really get a kick out of finding an elusive DSO, but the idea of tracking the magnitude of variable pairs night after night just doesn't do anything for me. I guess I'm more of a wanderer. What do you folks focus on? What are your favorite targets?

Steve

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Steve,

Good to see you again. (side note: It's time to do body work on the Chevelle before another winter approaches)

I am a mid-range amateur. No, I don't get excited at the variables, nor have I checked off all of the Messiers, (let's not even get into the NGC's), nor time the transits of the Galilean moons. But I do enjoy targeting some DSO's, catching the moon in all it's phases, and planet events. Sometimes the scope sleeps in it's case for a couple of months before I get the need to drag it out again, especially if no special events are on the calendar. It waits for me patiently until I touch it's cool metal tube again.

In the heart of the big city, it's hard to capture all of the objects I desire to. So the majority of the time, I stay with the major targets and really enjoy introducing new comers to the experience of first views thru the eyepiece. Catching the full moon rise blood red over Lake Michigan is always a treat and game to play...guestimating exactly at what point it will peek over.

Now that the evening skies will soon be devoid of planetary action, it may be a dull summer for amateur astronomers.

[stargazer]

Joe,

How can you saw it will be a dull Astronomical Summer. It is never dull. There are to many wonderful thigs to share and see.

As for my appraoch to this wonderful hobby I do time the crossings, Study the Planets in Detail. (when I get the chance) Look for all the DSO's in each Constellation. I am also trying to get through the AL certs list. Right now I am working on 4 or 5 of them. Yes my scope has sat all winter as it was to cold for me to go out and even this spring it has sat a while. I have a back injury that limits me sometimes to taking it out. Where I live I have three street lights that have a way of making my viewing from home very miserable. But I dont give up.

Thats just my two cents.

Becky

[NatureDevil]

My astronomy ventures are strictly bookwork. I read and study physics, I vist the planetarium often, as well as others around the country when I travel (as well as any museum or zoo) and I watch all the shows. I look into the sky and see what I can see with my eyes.

As for a telescope, I have never owned one and still hope to one day have my own and actually do some searching for a change.

NatureDevil

[BigTenInch]

You folks make me feel bad. Here I am on a farm in PA with very good seeing, and I take for granted that M31 is a naked eye object on good nights. Even here though, light pollution is getting worse.

[sarwat]

We in Chicago city consider it a good night if we can see the gibbous moon....

;D
Sarwat

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

What Sarwat says is too true.

Right now - in the end of June...if there are good skies, I can easily make out: Cassiopeia, The Summer Triangle, Cygnus and very few others with the naked eye, but the rest of the sky is awash in orange Mercury Vapor muck. I can tell it's a good night when I can see Polaris without strain.

Another indicator that it will be a good observational night is when the wind blows from the north and the bottom of the clouds are not saturated with the orange city glow. They are more white-ish and higher up. The sky is then deeper and more translucent, but never...never can we get away from the muck.

Steve, You are quite fortunate.

[stargazer]

Hi Guys,

Atleast i can honestly say I have better skies then the ones in the City. I do have some light pollution here but I can go about 20 min away and have some decent skies. On a good night I can go about 5 min from the house on the other side of the highway and have good horizons and skies. But if i want really dark kies I can go a hour away and be in black skies with just a sprinkle of light pollution.

Becky

[dewayne]

I enjoy the challenge.
I enjoy that astronomy allows me to be a time traveller of sorts.
I enjoy the feeling of seeing something new for the first time.
I enjoy finding something on my own.
But, most of all I enjoy the social aspect - observing with my grandsons, friends in the Peoria Astronomical Society or with people in the neighborhood or at the observatory who have never looked thru a scope before.
There's nothing better than the social aspect, including the camraderie found here.

[stargazer]

Hi

I must admit I agree with you. It is a thrill to have someone who has looked thru a scope for the first time and say WOW or thats COOL. I had someone say last night while looking thru my scope the famous Oh My God. Made my night. I dont mind GoTo scopes but you are right the thrill of the hunt is worth it.

Becky

[Al Degutis]

I was going to start a new thread introducing myself but figured I could accomplish that in this thread.

I'm not sure how I'd categorize myself. As a youth (up to mid-teens; ie before driving) I was facinated with astronomy. I'd get books from the library and takes notes, draw illustrations, etc into a notebook. I wanted to know it all, understand it all. I grew up in the light polluted southside of Chicago but that didn't matter as I never owned a telescope back then. I never observed, just read and read and read. I never even saw a meteor shower.

Enter phase 2 of my life, fatherhood early (when I was 20) and the next 18 years have been spent with work and family (and volleyball, my other passion).

Enter phase 3... last year we decided to move out of the city to a rural area northwest of Woodstock, IL (i.e. East of Rockford, IL). Though we live in a subdivision (surrounded by farms on all sides) each lot is 1+ acres and our is 1.5 acres with perimeter trees on 3 sides and a yard that below a hill at the front. Basically what I'm getting at is that there are no street lights and very little light polution (mostly from my family in our house). My wife had suggested that I get a telescope, know my interest in astromony. I kept putting it off. Shortly after we moved in Mars was at opposition. That was the kicker. On the day Mars was closest, I frantically searched around for a telescope that I could get locally. I found an online retailer, Apogee Inc in Marengo, called them and got directions to their warehouse. They quickly determined that I was a novice and recommended a Meade 4505 (4.5") starter scope. The price was right and I was desparate. I put it together and learned just enough to use it to view Mars. I spent the last 11 months learning more about the telescope and observing.

I just bought a used Meade 8" LX200 Classic last week. I finally had my "first light" through it last night for a couple of hours. I'd seen the Ring Nebula through the 4.5" and now with the 8" and it was such a better view with the larger apeture. I was able to see a star in/near its perimeter. WOW! I'm already thinking about trading up next year to a 10" or 12". Next year, I have to keep telling myself... I can't wait to see Saturn or Jupiter through the 8".

So during the last 11 months, I've spent a lot of time learning to use the 4504, learning the limitations of the 4504 (light grasp, mechanical, stability, etc), as well as starting to learn the sky (finding stars, planets and constellations, Messiers, etc). I dabbled in astrophotography but the 4504 only worked well for piggyback photography (see the link for my C2001 Q4 photos below). Now, I'll have to spend some time learning to operate the LX200 and spend some money for new accessories over time (e.g. electronic focuser, wedge, etc).

So I still haven't answered the question of what kind of astronomer I am... I no longer remember all that book stuff I read almost 20 years ago which is probably good since the last 10-15 years has rewritten a lot of it. I subscribe to Astronomy and Sky and Telescope and enjoy learning about astronomy and cosmology through them. When I observe, I do it for the pleasure of seeing the celestial objects. Recently, I've started taking some notes (mainly just noting what I saw) and have on a few occassions sketched illustrations. A week ago, using the 4.5" manually (i.e. no GoTo) I found a cluster of stars that caught my attention, so I diagrammed them and later identified them as M29. That was cool that I found it manually, figured it was probably a Messier, and sketched it well enought to identify it. It was a sense of discovery and research. When I first got my 4504, I wanted to see "cool" things like galaxies and nebulas (and I still do) but not clusters (boring). Now I eagerly search for clusters as well, though I'm still excited about seeing some galaxies with the 8".

I guess I'm just an excited amateur that will dabble in many aspects of astromony, some more that others, but my many goal is to observe.

Al

Comets:
degutis.com/ap/comets.asp

Main astronomy page:
degutis.com/astronomy/

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Al,

I envy your dark skies and 8" scope. You are well on your way to great discoveries, and it appears you have already after seeing your cool astrophotos.

Here in the big city, my skies are awash with orange muck and the contrast at times is so little that observation sessions come to a complete stop.

My main scope is the 4.5", ease of transportability and quick set up is it's draw. It has limited light gathering capabilities of course, but it has served me well over the years. There is a forum just for 4.5" owners that I belong to with practically everything you need to know about the Meade.

I look forward to your posts here, on your observations, astronomical experiences and just Al's thoughts.

Thanks for your posts.

[Al Degutis]

it appears you have already after seeing your cool astrophotos.

Thanks. Keep in mind that the photos were mostly a lot of effort but even more luck. I couldn't identify the comet through the 4504 but the camera (via a 20-30 second exposure) captured more the my eyes could.

My main scope is the 4.5", ease of transportability and quick set up is it's draw. It has limited light gathering capabilities of course, but it has served me well over the years.

I'm torn about what to do with my 4504. It was my first... hmmm, how would that sound in another situation:

But honey... I love you dearly because your my wife. I just keep her around because she was my first girlfriend and has sentimental value. Besides, she's a nice change of pace every once in awhile. Plus, she's willing to go outside and look at the night sky with me...

But I digress... I'll probably keep it and see if my 15 year old daughter gets hooked. She and I have searched for constellations in the recent past. She really enjoyed it. She lives with my ex-wife but I'm trying to get her to come up for the Persied meteor shower next month. That would be cool. I've never seen more that a couple of meteors myself.

There is a forum just for 4.5" owners that I belong to with practically everything you need to know about the Meade.

If you're referring to Jim Griggs' Meade4504Telescopes group, yep, I'm a member as well. I couldn't have gotten as far as I have without that group.

I look forward to your posts here, on your observations, astronomical experiences and just Al's thoughts.

That last one could be scary.

Al

[Chicago Astronomer Joe]

Al,

Yes, I was referring to Jim's excellent site. Jim and I conducted a joint observation session during the Mars madness of last year. He's quite the world traveler and his two sites are filled with all the 4.5" owner needs to know.

I think you will fit in quite well here with dry humor, witty observations and telescope infidelity. (Your secret is locked with me.) We Chicago Astronomers are a freindly bunch.

I anticipate your "slant" on things. I'm up for a refreshing shock once in awhile.

[dewayne]

Al,
It sounds like you and I have followed similar paths.
I live in downstate Peoria where the skies are not so nearly LP as Chicago's.
Like you when I got into astronomy seriously I got a 4.5" dobsonian.
This year I upgraded to an Orion XT8.
I'm on my way with about 30 Messier's under my belt.
This is a great hobby. It's better when you have friends who share your enthusiasm.
I'm glad you're here.

[DippyHippy]

At the moment, whatever observing I'm doing, I'm doing with my eyes only because I'm emigrating to the US soon and I gave my telescope to a colleague!

Ah well... I'm lucky that I work nights though, out in the country - I go out at 1am for my "lunch" break and stare up at the stars. If it's clear, of course. And every day at work brings a beautiful dawn too

[MaryG]

I am the most casual of casual stargazers. I'd have to move up a few levels before actually thinking of using the word "astronomer." The fact that I'm pretty much just trying to look intelligent here has been covered in another thread, but I do want to say something about Joe's "orange muck". That muck and Polaris are how I quickly orient myself at night when it's clear, or when there are high clouds down your way. Not to bring up an atmospheric phenomenon in an astronomy forum... but I suppose it's easy for me to say, from my vantage point, that that orange glow is almost magical. Sometimes the glow of MKE and ORD coalesces; sometimes it's clearly separate. But it is amazing how distinct it is, from such a distance. I suppose there are precious few places in the world where you can't see some orangey tinge somewhere on the horizon on clear nights.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Mary,
Do you live in between Chicago and Milwaukee? Or some variation thereof? In my minds eye, I can understand what you say about the merging of light pollution blankets and then being separate and distrinct.

I lay no claim to the light show. I would rather go back to Old London gas lamps.

[Maddad]

What kind of an astronomer am I? None at all? Yeah, I've got a telescope, and have even looked through it at the night sky a couple of times. My cat Bella gets the most viewing time with it though. Every few days she shinnies up the barrel to look in through the apeture.

Mostly I consider questions in astronomy. What is the size of the universe? Does it have an edge? A center? Can we really say that we know it is isotropic if we cannot see but 14 BLY, and its entire size is 150 BLY? Can time act like a fourth spatial dimension? What would we see if an object approached us on a near miss trajectory at more than the speed of light? Why does mass exhibit gravity? Can gravity and universal expansion be explained by a single mechanism? Should we consider whether certain laws, such as conservation of matter and energy, are true in all cases? What does straight mean if gravity is a warpage of space-time? What is the shape of that warpage?

[gettr]

Everything you said Steve..... but I really get a kick out of watching the planets move thru the sky.... just seems a little surreal...and makes me feel a little insignificant. At least until I walk in frozen and my 15 month old boy comes tearing up....then I feel 10 feet tall!