How did you get into Astronomy?

[04Stefan07]

Just a random question.

I have always been fascinated by the Universe and Space. The many wonders that lay out there and the size of objects amazes me. I have to thank my dad and brother who did get me interested in the Universe as I was growing up.
But getting into astronomy was a little different.

Being interested in the topic for a while I remember always eyeing off a basic Celestron telescope at the shops whenever I went in. Eventually I bought my first telescope (Celestron 60AZ) for cheap just to see if I would like astronomy. I didn't want to spend a whole heap of money in case I didn't like it.

After using it for a few nights I LOVED IT! (especially after seeing Saturn). Therefore I used the telescope for around 4-6 months until I upgraded and got my 130 SLT. After that got into Astrophotography and now got my second scope.

This is easily in my top 2 of hobbies (with the other being scale model building).

How did you get into Astronomy?

[graham.hobart]

I started watching and observing bats at dusk as I was a keen mammal and birdwatcher in the UK, then gradually noticed the stars. Used Dad's bins then bought a Tal 1 M newt from the Sunday papers -with a clock drive.
Caught the bug seriously when I first saw Saturn, and also Comet Hale Bopp.
Can't wait for my daughter's first glimpse of Saturn now!

[LewisM]

I was about 5. My father showed me the moon through an old Japanese refractor. We then lay on our backs (back when light pollution was MINIMAL where we used to live)and observed the Milky Way naked eye for a long time while he told me about infiniti etc. I would lay awake at nights contemplating the concept on infiniti and space. I still do.

[louie_the_fly]

Wow, long story.

1. Christmas / New Year 1969/70 we had a family holiday to Vic, ACT & NSW. While over there we visited Mt Stromlo. I remember my older brother poking a stick in a hole in the ground & a big spider came running out. Our uncle said it was a funnel web. I think we also went to the Sydney Observatory. Long time ago so not 100% sure. Another trip highlight was when we also drove across the Sydney harbour Bridge - I thought I was Sonny Hammond! :lol:

2. I grew up in the city, about 2 miles NW of the Adelaide CBD. Dad & I used to "camp out" on the back lawn. It was really dark in Adelaide back then. Dad showed me the more common constellations and told me the names of the brighter stars. He obviously had an underlying interest himself.

3. I went to an observing night at my brother's high school when I was about 8 or 9. I was hooked from there. I went to the same school years later, & had the same science teacher, who was a passionate amateur astronomer and geologist, and he got me really interested in both. I even did a massive year 11 science project on astronomy in Australia. It was really to satisfy my own curiosity I'm sure. I still have the books they sent me from Mt Stromlo & Siding Spring.

The rest is history. Now I'm 40 something (47 or 48, I can't remember) and I've become somewhat obsessed. I've only ever had 2 real interests. Fast cars & boats, and astronomy. The second has come back with a vengeance over the last few years.

[asimov]

The TV program Lost in space pretty well started all this for me. Onya Irwin Allen.

[DJT]

Birthday gift..I thought I was getting a lawnmower, the boxes were so big.....:thumbsup:

Apparently my dear wife asked some colleagues at work what would be a great present, and this is what I got. Brilliant!!

[ausastronomer]

It started for me in March 1970, when I was 11 yrs old with Bennett's comet. 43 years later I am still going strong.

Cheers,
John B

[cybereye]

Pretty much the same for me together with the Moon landing...:astron:

[Rob P]

I was an apprentice on deep sea vessels. Used to obtain a position fix by the stars twice a day, weather permitting, using a sextant. Satellite navigation was in its infancy at that time (one fix every eight hours on a good day and in the correct latitude).

Night time, the ship was darkened down using deadlights over the portholes, leaving only a dim glow from equipment on the Bridge and from the navigation lights. Middle of the ocean, perfect dark sky site (except that your platform kept moving).

[JB80]

I'm not overly certain, I remember we went on holiday to Policemans Point caravan park and being woken up early to see Halley's Comet. I was 5 at the time and wasn't as impressed as I was hoping to be.

Much later on when I was around 12ish I remember seeing on the news about a lunar eclipse that night so I grabbed my Dad's binos and went to the backyard to watch that, I was very impressed by that sight and then went on to scan the skies and came across a globular cluster and that blew me away. I couldn't tell you which one though and didn't even know what a globular cluster was, I was excited by that but met with apathy when I went in to tell my parents.
From then on though I kept track of things like meteor showers and eclipses, things I could observe with zero equipment.

I also recall watching something on telly about John Dobson and sidewalk astronomy and the lasting impression I had from that was people could actually build their own telescopes out of relatively common and easily attainable things.

Fast forward 15 or so years and I had moved into an appartment in central Brussels with my wife and I obviously had mentioned my interest in building a telescope, even downloaded plans for it but it wasn't feasible in that appartment but when we did move to a place with a yard my wife gave me a 6" reflector for my birthday and ever since then I have really got more involved.

[asimov]

Oh yes, mustn't forget that historical landing!

And check this out Mario..talk about going full circle! Turned up in the mail today, & I'm one HAPPY 50 yr old kid!:lol:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=105716

[Matt Wastell]

I remember my Grandfather explaining about the solar eclipse we witnessed (safely) as a young boy in the early 70's (Melbourne).
He was so excited and it certainly pricked my interest.
I have also been gob smacked by the scale of the ss and universe for as long as I remember.
My wife purchased my first real telescope about 16 years ago after listening to my enthusiasm for what is up there (interesting to note I had never thought of owning a scope until she got it for me).
My pasion keeps growing and my main interest is now the Sun and the unmanned solar system exploration.

[Nico13]

Started with a solar eclipse witnessed at primary school in the early sixties followed by a free choice school project, I chose the Solar System.
Had a mate in the early seventies that I flew radio control models with who was a keen astronomer as well as a mirror and scope maker, did a fair bit with him. Moved to Geelong late seventies and met another bloke who flew radio models and also built telescopes, did a lot with him over the years.
Finally bought my own gear about four years back when smacking expensive radio control helicopters into the ground was costing too much and my wife wanted to look at the stars.
Seriously hooked now.:rofl:

[BlackWidow]

A good friend of mine that I play music with caused it all. Damion ( readbeard on this site) asked me if I had ever seen Saturn through a telescope. Nope was the reply! And out came his Meade ETX Scope. Wow! What a cool little unit it was and how good was Saturn. Well good enough to get me hooked, and soon I was purchasing my first scope. Packed into my car was new boxes with my GSO 10" DOB. WOW, did I have some great nights with that scope. Then I wanted to have images of what I was seeing and it was time for an upgrade to my LX 200 10". Now I have a handful of images that have cost me around $1500 each LOL. I am hooked for sure and am sure I need an intervention ( ask the Wife). Good on ya Damion, now I am looking for an old people's home with a dome co's I think I am going to be doing this for a while.


Mardy

[ZeroID]

Always had some interest in space, collected all the satellite and first man in space news paper cuttings ( still got them ! ). Tried to make a scope or two in my early teen years, the sky was darker then. Always followed all the news on astronomical stuff over the years and a few visits to the observatory. The big hindrance was always time and money, equipment was expensive !!

Till I spotted the 114EQ Newt on TradeMe and got it for $40, I gave them $50 when I collected it. It's been a downhill slide ever since :sadeyes: :lol:

Have to say after that after redundancy, job changes and other issues astronomy has been a big life saver for me. Given me a whole new purpose and project as I approach retirement. Just wish I had the energy and eyes of my youth to take real advantage of the resources now available.

[Paul Haese]

Moon Landing!

[04Stefan07]

This has been a pleasure to read.

Some great stories!

[Stardrifter_WA]

I was very fortunate in that a family member knew the then Director of Perth Observatory, Dr Ivan Nikolov. When I was twelve I got to spend some time at Perth Observatory and from this the spark began a small brush fire, which was later to grow into my passion. Without the influence of Dr Nikolov and another astronomer, I may never have found my passion, as I was too stupid, as a kid, and as a young man, to realise that I actually had one.

Having come from a relatively poor background I couldn't even dream about owning a telescope. At the age of 15, I used to go to the only place in Perth that sold telescopes; John Vann Optical, I think it was called. I used to be one of those kids who would lean against the window drooling on the window wishing I could have bought the 4" Unitron refractor. It was about $1300 in 1968 and well beyond even the realms of possibility. And, it seemed so large then. At that time I was only earning $22 a week! I simply couldn't afford that, or indeed, the 2.4" refractors either which were around $125 with an alt-az mount, as that too seemed a small fortune too.

It was around this time that I met another old astronomer, whose name escapes me now, and he encouraged me to continue with observing the sky. He gave me a pair of binoculars that he had from WWII. I cherished those binoculars and would lay on the lawn for hours each night just watching the sky, which was so dark, in those days (I lived in the hills at the back of Kalamunda) and tried to imagine space just going on forever. I had those binoculars for many years, until they were stolen. I was crushed, as they had a lot of sentimental value.

After about a year the old astronomer gave me a 2.4" telescope for my birthday. I remember being a very happy boy, it just meant so much to me. I can clearly see that man's face, but for the life of me, I cannot remember his name. I used that telescope for quite some time until its capabilities, or lack of, saw me lose interest. I know, from first hand experience why some kids lose interest when they get 'crappy' (at least by today's standard) telescopes and expect to see everything.

Then, life got in the way; motorcycles, rock and roll, women and drink, in that order, took me in a different direction. That was a bit of a wild period in my life, which lasted about three years. Then work took me to the country and it renewed my interest. Then life got in the way, again, when I got married. I can never understand why I married that women :question: Probably ego, as she was the most desireable women in town, she was gorgeous, by anyone's standard. We never had much in common and she just couldn't understand why I would want to lay outside, in the dark, just watching the stars. She thought I was loony......and she be right :D

That marriage failed, as she left me for a mate. Later, I remarried and bought my first decent telescope, an 8" reflector. I completely rebuilt the telescope and mount at work; I am a machinist by trade. I even built a small planetary gear, which was fitted to one side of my focuser. I had fine focus on my telescope in the mid 70's, so nothing is new. I got the idea from an English astronomy magazine or book; I can't quite remember where, but I made one. It was crude, but it worked well and had a 7:1 ratio.

Then a move back to Perth and saw me renew my interest in astronomy and it was about this time that I started to go up to Perth Observatory again. After some years, they began to trust me and I was allowed to use some of their equipment. It was during this time that my passion truly grew. The brush fire finally caught alight and became a wildfire.

Eventually, I graduated to bigger instruments at Perth Observatory and through hard work and, particularly, dedication I got to use most of their equipment and got to do some science at the observatory. The level of trust that they extended saw me using their equipment unassisted and the quality of my data was such that it was included in scientific papers. Not too shabby for an amateur. Actually, I was the original volunteer and from that the volunteer program was expanded.

During my second marriage I had to, very reluctantly, sell my 8" reflector, as we had just built our home, so money was tight. I didn't buy another telescope until after my wife left me, for another mate. This sucks....I am running out of mates! :D

It all finally come together in 1995 when I bought my SCT and since then have accumulated a number of scopes. Must be overcompensating for the lack of optics in my marriage. Well, that's my story and I am sticking to it. Actually, it is more like I have much more money now that I don't have a wife and no one to tell me I can't have it :P

It was a long, and often, painful journey, but the night sky is now my life!

[blink138]

i really think it must have brrn the first moon landings in the late sixties when i was about six or seven............... and then i was really hooked on the packets of the PG Tips tea that had the "race into space" collectable cards, wonderful memories
then i had the obligatory k mart 60mm refractor when we arrived in perth in 1973
pat