How to Interest a spouse in astronomy?

The fastest way to get your spouse interested in your astronomy hobby is to
run up very large credit card bills purchasing new equipment ;^).

--

Chuck Faranda
http://ccdastro.net


"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 08 Aug 2003 23:14:57 -0400, Bill Meyers
....reflected:

Hello, all,
I am wondering what people's experience with this has been.

"Mick" wrote in message

Better try the neighbors wife first....

Maybe a third juvenile remark will work. Wait, I'm the only one who hasn't
kill filed you yet!
Doh! Plonk.

Ed

In article ,
Bill Meyers wrote:
LarryG wrote:

"Bill Meyers" wrote in message
...
Hello, all,
I am wondering what people's experience with this has been.
Bill Meyers

Why would you want to?

This sounds like manipulation. Not really a loving act.

cheers,
Larry G.

Yes, of course, the beauty of the night sky has nothing to offer a
person, so trying to interest someone in it is a manipulation rather
than an attempt to give the person something of transcendent value. I
get it now. Thanks for pointing this out to all of us...
Clear skies,
Bill Meyers

Well, think of it this way: if your wife is interested in you, why
isn't she also at least somewhat interested in what you're very
interested in?

It should of course also work both ways, i.e. you too should share
your wife's interests at least to a point, so that she feels you
care about what she's doing.

Yes, the night sky is beautiful, but other things are beautiful too,
and different people have different priorities.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------
Paul Schlyter, Grev Turegatan 40, SE-114 38 Stockholm, SWEDEN
e-mail: pausch at stockholm dot bostream dot se
WWW: http://www.stjarnhimlen.se/
http://home.tiscali.se/pausch/

That depends on whether you want to generate positive interest or
negative interest . . .

CF wrote:
The fastest way to get your spouse interested in your astronomy hobby is to
run up very large credit card bills purchasing new equipment ;^).

Otherwise, being able to appreciate and enjoy the passion of your partner
seems like a reasonable situation/hope/expectation/goal, something that can
definitely enhance the relationship.


I agree. I'd say my wife appreciates, but does not share, my passion for
stargazing. I'll show her things now and then and she's interested and
always takes time to look. But then she usually goes back inside. This is
fine. I've always stargazed alone and rather like it that way. My wife also
doesn't mind that i spend a few nights a month out on the desert someplace
with my scopes. We also go on camping trips together and after i tuck her
into the tent i'll stay up another couple hours under the stars. Is good.
;-)

-Florian

My compliments to you on your selection
for a mate.


Maybe she chose him! ;-)

-Florian

Bill Meyers wrote:
Hello, all,
I am wondering what people's experience with this has been.
Bill Meyers


Isn't it easier to get one that is already interested in
Astronomy?

;-)

Carlos
--

Carlos Moreno wrote:
Bill Meyers wrote:

Hello, all,
I am wondering what people's experience with this has been.
Bill Meyers


Isn't it easier to get one that is already interested in
Astronomy?

Definitely not if you already have one g

"Florian" wrote in message
...
I'd say my wife appreciates, but does not share, my passion for
stargazing. I'll show her things now and then and she's interested and
always takes time to look. But then she usually goes back inside. This is
fine.

This is my experience as well. My lovely wife enjoys science, but she's not
fond of the cold (even what passes as cold in Florida) nor the mosquitoes.
Therefore she likes to come out for the spectacular things, but I wouldn't
expect her to join me each time I am out in the back yard. Generally she
gets one good look at Jupiter, Saturn and Mars each of their respective
apparitions. She gets more enjoyment looking at my sketches in the morning.
Her interest goes a bit beyond just responding to me. Through a fortuitous
arrangement in our house, a nice pinhole image of the sun graces our living
room each sunny morning. More than once, SHE has told ME to come look at the
decent sized sunspot. She also has been known to read my Sky & Telescope if
an item listed on the cover catches her attention.

However, in the interest of full disclosure I should point out that I did
(more or less) what Carlos suggested. Even though we both got degrees in
Music Education, when we met in college I was immediately attracted to her
obvious intelligence and her interest in Science and Science Fiction. Early
dates included discussions of Orwell's "1984" and Asimov's "Foundation"
trilogy.

Clear Skies,
Craig in Tampa

Hello, Dawn,
Good to hear you are finally the top priority in the mirror department! I do think it is
a good idea to give a spouse a scope with a mirror of very substantial size, such as an 8 or
10, rather than just giving a 3 inch shorttube, which I suspect would be experienced by the
spouse as a toy telescope. The smaller telescopes are really second telescopes. People
beginning observing feel better if they can really see a lot right away and this means a
first scope of substantial size.
Good luck with your scope and thanks for sharing your experience,
Bill Meyers

Dawn Baird-Chleborad wrote:

I have a sonotube awaiting an 8" f/7. I HAD a mirror all beautiful and
ready to go but my dear, darling hubby tends to canabalize our private
stock for his free telescope workshop (we hold once a month at our
home for club members). The next mirror he figures is MINE, MINE,
MINE!!! Once we get my dob up and running I think I shall name it
*FINALLY*!

Dawn

Bill Meyers wrote in message ...
Hello, Dawn,
Sounds like your husband is a lucky guy And with your level of
interest, you certainly deserve to have a scope of your own.. I think
Dobsonian in the 8 inch f56 or the 10 inch f5 range would bv relatively
easy for you to move around and would show you a lot, on the moon and
planets and also the deep sky.. Good luck with it and thanks for sharing
your experiences.
Bill Meyers