|
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
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? |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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 |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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 |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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 |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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 |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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 |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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 |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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 |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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? |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
What goes through your mind while viewing a target?
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. |
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide | Steven S. Pietrobon | Space Shuttle | 0 | August 5th 04 01:36 AM |
Sedna, space probes?, colonies? what's next? | TKalbfus | Policy | 265 | July 13th 04 12:00 AM |
Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide | Steven S. Pietrobon | Space Shuttle | 0 | April 2nd 04 12:01 AM |
Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide | Steven S. Pietrobon | Space Shuttle | 0 | February 2nd 04 03:33 AM |
Unofficial Space Shuttle Launch Guide | Steven S. Pietrobon | Space Shuttle | 0 | September 12th 03 01:37 AM |