What goes through your mind while viewing a target?

This may seem like another stupid question from a newbie, and I know
I'm trying the patience of those more experienced posters, but this
question is genuine and not intended to offend...

When I'm viewing a target, particularly those that are "merely"
pinpoints of light, after I'm impressed by the visual beauty of, for
example, a globular cluster, that's about where the level of my
appreciation ends...I'm looking through the eyepiece with nothing
running through my mind; drool dripping from my chin would not be out
of place. I'd like to know what YOU are thinking/seeing while viewing
these pinpoints of light.

Are your thoughts equipment oriented? E.g., "Wow, this Plossl is
better than that ortho."

Are they historically oriented? E.g., "The ancients thought Merope is
less bright because she married a mere mortal."

Are they astrophysics oriented? E.g., "That cluster is xxx million
light years away and x light years across."

And so on...

I know the answer, I think, to this intellectual vacuum I'm
experiencing...study more! Yes, and on those occasions when I've
preplanned a viewing session of a target and researched its critical
elements, the viewing has been much more enjoyable. (The Autostar's
little blurbs on my LX90 are very helpful but usually too brief...I
want more...it would be nice if someone were standing next to me
pointing out interesting facts about the target.) But with the number
of potential targets out there, I'm looking at a pretty daunting task,
i.e., writing what amounts to an essay before viewing each target. Is
specialization the answer?

I'm beginning to think that amateur astronomy is a lot like developing
an appreciation of classical music and fine art. That is, it's
helpful to have someone point out what to listen to or look at. It
also is beginning to dawn on me that years of INTELLIGENTLY viewing
the heavens apparently signficantly enriches the experience.
Unfortunately, I'm still at the kindergarten level.

Chris B. in another thread did a great job of describing his moon
viewing experience and helped me a lot. I guess I just lack
imagination due to a dearth of knowledge on my part. Hopefully, with
more study those points of light will trigger an intellectual
experience in addition to a visual thrill.

But I guess my original question(s) stand. That is, are your viewing
experiences mainly oriented toward equipment, the visual experience,
historical perspective, etc. or what?

To me it's kind of a treasure hunt. Using charts and a manual scope to track
down little fuzzy targets is fun. You mentioned your LX90 and its Autostar
readout but to me i would miss most of the fun in learning the sky and the
fun in finding things myself. As far as what i think about when observing, i
don't think my thoughts are very deep at all. I just like sitting outside,
by myself, at night, in the dark.

;-)

-Florian
Stargazing.com

10^13 neutrinos/second?

I'd like to say cosmic rays, but at my altitude (and judging from my CCD images)
all too many only make it half way through! Maybe that explains the occasional
odd thought that just pops up when I'm at the eyepiece.

Seriously, I go along with the suggestion "is someone looking back?" as the most
common thing I think of when observing.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

Florian wrote:

As far as what i think about when observing, i
don't think my thoughts are very deep at all. I just like sitting outside,
by myself, at night, in the dark.

I do that, too. Next time I'll take a scope with me. :-)

Mike Simmons

ThomasFL wrote:

When I'm viewing a target, particularly those that are "merely"
pinpoints of light, after I'm impressed by the visual beauty of, for
example, a globular cluster, that's about where the level of my
appreciation ends...I'm looking through the eyepiece with nothing
running through my mind; drool dripping from my chin would not be out
of place. I'd like to know what YOU are thinking/seeing while viewing
these pinpoints of light.

While the intellectual part of observing -- knowing what you're seeing
and trying to understand what's involved -- is usually my main interest
in locating something in the first place, it's not usually what I'm
thinking of at the eyepiece. I know there are more photons and more
details there to see so I'm usually concentrating on finding all that
they eye can detect and the brain can discern. For example, I'll be
after you've looked at a few of the globular clusters you mentioned
you'd be hard pressed to say just how they're different. But they can
be very different -- much more than just a random splattering of stars
in a ball. Do you spend much time at the eyepiece with the expectation
of seeing more? It's the only way to get more out of the object. More
detail, more faint wisps at the limit of detection. There's really much
more there than the casual glance will reveal. And once you start to
find these things the objects become more familiar in a very different
way than knowing more about their physical characteristics.

I've also been a birder for many years. My wife might go along
sometimes but prefers to just take a quick look rather than study them
like I do. But now the birds are more like familiar friends than they
were. I can identify many by their sounds and recognize when they've
returned from their annual migration.

Along with seeing more in the objects, spending more time at the
eyepiece will develop your observing skills. This is what amateur
astronomy is really all about, IMHO -- becoming better at what you're
doing with the telescope and learning the sky in a way the casual
observer will never know.

Mike Simmons

While observing Mars last night I had a particularly clear view due to some
overlying haze. I couldn't help but imagine back to a time before we knew that
it was devoid of intelligent life. That sucker is big, the markings are
distinctly earthlike and it really looks like it could be habitable.


rat
~( );

email: remove 'et' from .com(et) in above email address

Along with seeing more in the objects, spending more time at the
eyepiece will develop your observing skills. This is what amateur
astronomy is really all about, IMHO -- becoming better at what you're
doing with the telescope and learning the sky in a way the casual
observer will never know.

Mike Simmons

Like riding a bike through the country side on a particularly fine day.... A
bit of everything, the joy of riding a fine bike, the joy of exercising your
mind and body and feelings their strength, looking at the birds and the grass,
the people and trees and flowers, feeling the air blow against your skin...

But most of all...

Just the joy of riding a bike a particularly fine day through the countryside.

jon

Jon Isaacs wrote:

Along with seeing more in the objects, spending more time at the
eyepiece will develop your observing skills. This is what amateur
astronomy is really all about, IMHO -- becoming better at what you're
doing with the telescope and learning the sky in a way the casual
observer will never know.

Mike Simmons

Like riding a bike through the country side on a particularly fine day.... A
bit of everything, the joy of riding a fine bike, the joy of exercising your
mind and body and feelings their strength, looking at the birds and the grass,
the people and trees and flowers, feeling the air blow against your skin...

But most of all...

Just the joy of riding a bike a particularly fine day through the countryside.

jon

Well said, Jon. It all comes back to the bottom line (literallyg).
And it's a feeling I know well, as I think you already know.

Mike Simmons

Tom,
I think we mostly think of ALL those things....not necessarily
all at once of course....astrophysics is my first thought...how
big and how far, then perhaps eyepieces, BUT the real biggie is:

Why isn't there a fuzzy new comet in the same FOV that I can report on
to CBAT and get a share of that 20 Grand?!! ;-)
Clear Skies,
Tom W.






ThomasFL wrote:
This may seem like another stupid question from a newbie, and I know
I'm trying the patience of those more experienced posters, but this
question is genuine and not intended to offend...

When I'm viewing a target, particularly those that are "merely"
pinpoints of light, after I'm impressed by the visual beauty of, for
example, a globular cluster, that's about where the level of my
appreciation ends...I'm looking through the eyepiece with nothing
running through my mind; drool dripping from my chin would not be out
of place. I'd like to know what YOU are thinking/seeing while viewing
these pinpoints of light.

Are your thoughts equipment oriented? E.g., "Wow, this Plossl is
better than that ortho."

Are they historically oriented? E.g., "The ancients thought Merope is
less bright because she married a mere mortal."

Are they astrophysics oriented? E.g., "That cluster is xxx million
light years away and x light years across."

And so on...

I know the answer, I think, to this intellectual vacuum I'm
experiencing...study more! Yes, and on those occasions when I've
preplanned a viewing session of a target and researched its critical
elements, the viewing has been much more enjoyable. (The Autostar's
little blurbs on my LX90 are very helpful but usually too brief...I
want more...it would be nice if someone were standing next to me
pointing out interesting facts about the target.) But with the number
of potential targets out there, I'm looking at a pretty daunting task,
i.e., writing what amounts to an essay before viewing each target. Is
specialization the answer?

I'm beginning to think that amateur astronomy is a lot like developing
an appreciation of classical music and fine art. That is, it's
helpful to have someone point out what to listen to or look at. It
also is beginning to dawn on me that years of INTELLIGENTLY viewing
the heavens apparently signficantly enriches the experience.
Unfortunately, I'm still at the kindergarten level.

Chris B. in another thread did a great job of describing his moon
viewing experience and helped me a lot. I guess I just lack
imagination due to a dearth of knowledge on my part. Hopefully, with
more study those points of light will trigger an intellectual
experience in addition to a visual thrill.

But I guess my original question(s) stand. That is, are your viewing
experiences mainly oriented toward equipment, the visual experience,
historical perspective, etc. or what?

OH, as an addendum, the one thing I *don't* think about is someone
looking back.....as I am not a big believer in other life out there...
and even if there is just a few, the time/distance factors come into
play....so I just assume that there is nothing there.
Clear skies,
Tom W.