Two More Ways To Sustain Your Interest In Astronomy
Based on the huge amount of feedback we received from the last issue, it seems a lot of us have struggled from time to time to maintain our enthusiasm for astronomy.
Today (with thanks to all of you who suggested these ideas) I’d like to share two additional strategies to sharpen your interest in this wonderful pastime.
In fact, these two activities might not only rekindle your interest in the night sky, but also give you a true sense of practical accomplishment.
Share Your Interest
One of the most rewarding ways to enjoy astronomy is to get out and share your knowledge with those who are hungry to know more.
Whether you show a few schoolkids where to find Venus and Jupiter, or you introduce your friends to the exquisite structure of the Orion or Lagoon nebulae with your backyard telescope after a summer dinner party, sharing your knowledge of astronomy with interested beginners reflects and magnifies your love of astronomy and leaves you with the sure knowledge that you’ve earned your keep on the planet for another day.
Many amateur astronomers prefer to share the sky with young kids, who are often natural learners and deeply curious.
But I prefer to work with adults who, for one reason or another, would like to take up astronomy as a hobby but never had the chance.
The sight of a bright globular cluster or the rings of Saturn has been known to give new perspective to the worries of many a grim-faced executive or overworked mother.
Helping someone else discover the beauty of the night sky and gain a wider perspective about nature in its grandest form can be tremendously rewarding and can help you regain the keen interest you had when you first took up astronomy.
Do Real Science
If you’re tired of simply hopping from object to object as an “astro-tourist” and you want a real thrill, why not make real contributions to the science of astronomy?
With the advent of large affordable telescopes and low-cost CCD cameras, amateurs like us can make useful observations by searching for supernovae, measuring the spectra of comets and stars, and even searching for exotic phenomena like gravitational lensing caused by massive galaxies bending the light from more distant galaxies along the same line of sight.
Of course, many such observing projects require a great deal of time, money, and specialized knowledge. So they’re not for everybody.
But there are simpler ways to do real science.
Perhaps the easiest involves the observation and measurement of variable stars. The American Association of Variable Star Observers (www.aavso.org) has all the information and training material you need to find, measure, and report the changes in brightness of thousands of Mira-type variables, Cepheids, and even occasional cataclysmic variable stars. AAVSO coordinates measurements from amateurs all over the world and reports the measurements to professional astronomers who develop more accurate models of stellar behavior.
It’s fairly easy to get started… and you can contribute as many or as few observations as you like. And the simplest of telescopes… or even a pair of binoculars are all you need.
So there you have it… 7+2 ways to help you stay interested in astronomy. So if you’re in an astro-rut, pick one or two of these tips and get started. Life is short, and there’s a lot to see up there…
