Getting into Amateur Astronomy

As the oldest of the sciences, astronomy has a rich culture and a long and interesting history. And, as any science, it has its special language and many technical terms. Naturally, one is able to best enjoy the discussions when one speaks the lingo, so begin by reading all that you can. The public libraries have many books on most aspects of amateur astronomy and telescope-making. And if one book doesn't grab your interest, or is too advanced, try some others. You'll come back to them later.

Read at least one book on mirror-making, even if you don't intend to make a mirror. For one thing, you'll be able to understand more of what's being said; and for another, you'll better appreciate the skill that goes into it. And just maybe, you may get the itch to push some glass yourself!

Be sure to read biographies of the old-timers: Galileo, Messier, the Herschels, Halley, Newton, Einstein. Fascinating! The history of astronomy is a field of study in itself.

Read the astronomical press. Sky and Telescope as part of the membership in SJAA; Astronomy is available at many bookstores and also at a reduced rate through SJAA. Scientific American, Science, and Science News have excellent articles from time to time on recent findings in all fields including astronomy.

You'll want some of your own books, and there are many excellent publications available. Before spending much money, ask around at the meetings; you'll be able to preview much of the better material. Among the less-costly material, the encyclopedic Burnham's Celestial Handbook, in three volumes, is the great bargain of the century; it covers practically everything in the sky beyond the solar system. The Sky Atlas 2000, by Wil Tiron, is a big bargain, too; it's available through SJAA at reasonable cost.

There are many excellent planetarium programs which can augment or replace a printed atlas.

Make haste slowly in buying a telescope. There are many telescopes and a bewildering variety of accessories being offered, with many glowing claims as to their capabilities. But one needs to have gotten some direction as to one's goals before investing in equipment. As has been shown above, you needn't have an instrument to participate in observing sessions.

After much discussion with many observers, and many comparisons between their instruments, you'll be ready to make the decisions. One may buy a new telescope, or perhaps buy a commercial or hand-made instrument from another observer. Or you may decide that you'd like to build your own. You might assemble from parts, buying or building as dictated by time, finances, your own abilities, and the size of your automobile.

One quickly outgrows a very small telescope, so you'll probably want to start with a six inch at least.

One of the outstanding features of astronomy is that it is so remarkably wide-ranging. SJAA is largely concerned with observational astronomy. But one can derive immense pleasure without ever looking through a telescope. The suggested reading implies that astronomy is a cerebral activity: it can be; but one can also learn and enjoy the sky without reference to a single book or chart. Yet one would lose much by ignoring the books -- what would you do on cloudy nights?

One can get involved in the mathematical aspects; indeed, many advances in mathematics resulted from the needs of astronomers. But one can observe thousands of objects with little more math than counting on one's fingers.

Again, the "paraprofessional" section implies that one can do scientifically valuable work, as indeed you can; but one mustn't forget the joy of contemplating the heavens and admiring their beauty.

So the range is broad. Many other interests and hobbies tie into astronomy including but not limited to photography, optics, mechanics,stamp-collecting, history, navigation, timekeeping, calendars.

Astronomy is the meeting-place of all the arts and sciences. And your local astronomical association is the meeting-place of a wonderfully diverse group of people.