Imaging or Visual?

[glenc]

How do you spend most of your time when you are doing astronomy outside?

[asimov]

The only time I look through an EP is when I'm collimating. Unless looking through the finder counts.

100% imaging right now.

[AstralTraveller]

I spend my days making equipment work and sitting in front of a computer. I don't want to spend my recreation doing that as well. Also, I've always found looking at the real object, sensing the photos that came from the object, much more satisfying than an image even though you will see more detail in an image.

I think some options are missing from the poll. There are a few people around who perform scientific observations (occultations, variable stars). That could be visual or instrumental but it still isn't quite what is in the poll.

[mozzie]

visual only!!! i like to find those faint fusses.....

[thunderchildobs]

I only go outside to open / close the observatory roof. (Hope to fix this annoying problem sometime). Then all the astronomy is done remotely and in comfort from the bedroom. So i cannot vote as there is no option for inside astronomy.

[DavidU]

My distinct lack of a camera seals my use of the scopes.

[Robh]

Visual for me.
Nothing like finding a new target by star-hopping off a map.
You can appreciate it in its regional context a whole lot more.

Regards, Rob

[mswhin63]

While I am imaging I look to the skies, let the software do most of the work and reap the benefit of imaging when the stars are not out.

[jjjnettie]

Imaging only at this time.
But seriously thinking of getting a dob to while away the hours whilst the other mount is doing it's thing.

I do enjoy the occasional Binocular tour.:D

[astroron]

Nothing like seeing the light of a Galaxy that has traveled 50 million light years to reach my eyeball in my 16" scope:eyepop:
Cheers

[glenc]

Sorry, I should have had an "other" option.

[Waxing_Gibbous]

Ditto. I spend my working life in front of a computer. Everything is twice-removed from the experiential. It's much more exciting, to me, to see the object directly through the eyepiece.
However - I really enjoy all the images posted here so keep up the good work everyone. :thumbsup:

[Nightskystargaz]

Glen,

I only do visual viewing. :astron:

CS,KLU,

:thanx:,

Tom

[cybereye]

I'm in Brisbane. I can't remember what I do it's been so cloudy!

Mario

[Matt Wastell]

I always intend to image when I scope - mainly solar and a few lunar sessions.
I do look and sometimes I look longer than I image - but its probably 80% / 20%.
The SPSP is different, I only look!

[Rodstar]

Just visual. Ditto to Ron's comments!

Happy to visit the Hubble website when I want to look at images.;)

[gbeal]

Virtually every time I image, I also have the dob next door, so am happily "dobbing" while I image, that way I feel I am getting double the enjoyment.
Gary.

[Tiotion]

100% visual.
I was tempted to go photo a little while back. Then at a recent star party, I watch a fellow Dob observer spend all night trying to set up is new Astro photo rig. In the mean time I looked at about 20 galaxies and many nebs. I only get to a dark site once a month... Wanna make that time worthwhile!

[OzRob]

The only time I put an EP in is when I have to do some sort of an alignment. Unfortunately can not do visual and imaging at the same time with one setup. Also, I spend most of the time inside and operate things remotely.

[ngcles]

Ummm ... Guess?

Best,

L.

[tonybarry]

Interesting survey. I use a video cam for occultations. It can "go" a few magnitudes better than my eyeball. But it's near real time rather than hours later. Does that mean visual or photography/imaging?

Regards,
Tony Barry

[marki]

What's an EP ??????

[pgc hunter]

Imaging Becrux every clear night?


;)

[SkyViking]

I starhop to the target in question, which I very much enjoy. If it's a bright object then I'll have a gaze for a while to soak up the view before I start imaging. Especially for the ultra-faint objects it's a great feeling to meticulously go from star to star out into some unknown field of view and center the scope on where the target is supposed to be, then switching to the camera and seeing it pop up on the screen - just magic!

[barx1963]

I am surprised more people don't do both. I know the time investment in imaging is large but I think a little time at the eyepiece would give imagers some appreciation of how lucky they are to be able to capture the light they do.
I am thinking of getting into a little serious imaging in the next year or 2, but fully intend to maintain a steady visual program as well. Unfortunately for those of us who have to manage with light pollution imaging is the obvious way to increase our observations.

[glenc]

At the Qld Astrofest the imagers outnumber the visual observers about 2 to 1.

[jjjnettie]

:D Was only a few years ago that it was the other way around.
The number of IIS members attending has swelled tremendously too.
I think we had 8 or 9 that first year, now I think that at least half of the AF attendees are members. Not all active of course, but I hope they enjoy the time that they do spend here. :)

[Suzy]

Visual only for me.
The feeling of falling into space when my eye ball connects to that eyepiece is exhilarating! And being awestruck at how far away the object is which makes teasing out detail that much more fun and exciting. As for star hopping, I say hello to all my friends as I journey my way through them, so much beauty in colours and patterns I see on my way to my destination. A very personal feeling- I feel like there my friends.

[mental4astro]

Does sketching equate as imaging? :shrug: :question:

I mean, it is also just an interpretation of what is 'up there', just done with a pencil and paper rather than with some "devil child" mechanical device. :rolleyes:

[taminga16]

Suzy,
This is the second time that I have felt that you read my notes. :)
Greg.

[Louwai]

I'm with Suzy. Visual is the ONLY way to go.

The pretty pictures are nice to look at & I certainly appreciate what goes into creating them, but taking / creating them is of no interest to me.:D

[Paddy]

Visual only. I love the intimacy of actually seeing the object directly. I also quite enjoy the hunt of star hopping, seeing the patterns and patiently sorting.

Having said that, I am acquiring a Canon 500D and there is a risk that it might find its way onto my ED80 occasionally...

Interesting that at this stage, the numbers in the poll are about 50/50 between imaging and visual.

[GrampianStars]

Just back from a star party (SV-Mar11) Was interesting comparing peoples different visual perception of objects.
80% of visual descriptions were all different from each other! :question:
Wheras Images show cold hard data difficult to dispute unless massive altering manipulation is done. ;)

[AstralTraveller]

The 'visuals' are making a surge. Go the eyeballs!! :thumbsup:

[glenc]

I think sketching is visual.

[Allan_L]

Interesting qualification..."when you are doing Astronomy outside "

I will be interested in the next poll about astronomy inside :)

Answer " I like to watch"

[strongmanmike]

90 respondants is a relatively small sample I guess but some astronomy society commitees out there might take notice of these stats and look at the proportionality of resources and facilities they are comiting to within their budgets for the two groups? Food for thought... :question:

A similar survey of club members to assess what it is that people are actually mostly doing might help establish a more representative distribution of funds here too ;)

Mike

[pgc hunter]

Visual only. Last thing I want to be doing is playing with miles of cable, computers, 45 minute set ups and tear downs, batteries, equipment malfunctions, etc etc etc. Nothing like plopping the dob down and sticking in an eyepiece. As relaxing as it gets :)

Ofcourse, I still do enjoy the images produced and appreciate the hard work that goes into creating them.

[spearo]

I believe that in order to get to a closer statistical approximation of the representation of the imagers we need to double the numbers that have responded.

You see, imagine two cohorts of astro buffs, one will do visual, the other imaging.

And they're off...picture them racing to their respective equipment, setting up etc.

Assuming the two groups spend the whole night out and thus the same amount of time under the stars, picture the sleepy heads returning home, tripping over things, crashing into bed.

Then,
The next day picture the entire whole lot of people who did visual logging into IIS, chatting away, happy and content.:):fishing:.

Lest say half the imagers actually managed to get anything useable to process.

So picture the more grumpy (comparatively) cohort of imagers. They have to download images, process, align, stack, scrap, restart, fiddle, adjust, yell at the computer that just crashed out of memory, etc.:scared2:

Picture them doing this for about a week.

The half that didn't capture anything have had time to respond to the survey, the other grumpy bunch are probably still trying to get something out of the few frames they managed to capture in between clouds so haven't had time to log on and vote.

Thus,

We need to double (at least I'd say) the number of imagers represented in the current poll.

:D

Then again, as Mike said, 90 is a smallish sample especially given the current IIS membership and it probably is about half and half which is really great if that's the case. In fact, you might even find that some imagers like myself sometimes even look up at the sky with a second scope or binos while the rest of the rig is imaging....

maybe that makes us hybrids....

OMG ! I'm a Hybrid !!! :eyepop:

frank:lol:

[glenc]

I suspect that imagers (& hybrids!) outnumber visual observers.
Imagers spend more time on astronomy but the visuals see more objects.

[JD2439975]

Mostly imaging with a bit of visual thrown in for me, but as I haven't seen the sky in six months I'm starting to think maybe radio astronomy is the way to go.

Anyone know what a twin-dished interferometry setup costs? :eyepop: :lol:

JD

[GrampianStars]

I disagree, :rolleyes: Out bush where I am there is about 20 people with scopes and NO IMAGERS

[AstroGuy]

Along with my vote I must state that, most of the time I spend getting eaten alive by mozzies because I always seem to forget the bug spray. :P So, come to Oz all you people, our mozzies love international cuisine! :lol:

[Greenswale]

Visual only - I like to feel like part of it all, sitting out in it, taking it in, firing up the imagination.

Sketches and drawings bring in the human element and are just brilliant (unless done by me............!).

I have respect for the skills and output from imagers, but cannot ever see myself spending so much time with computers and stuff!!!

[bobson]

Visual only.

bob

BTW

I think with computer technology advancing so fast, soon we will see "digital eyepieces" .
The ones with CCD on them or some other device. Powerful enough to capture 100-1000 images at once somehow and process that data instantly. So we can see what imagers see now after hours of exposure and processing captured data :) Now, how cool would that be? :D

cheers

[seeker372011]

few seem to have said both-but I am one most definitely in that category

when I want pain-imaging-if I want to just enjoy a night under the stars-visual, especially now I have an argo navis on my dob

and I spend heaps more time visual on solar than I do imaging

[mental4astro]

We need your support to expand IIS!


This poll is a good place to also ask for support from a wider IIS audience for the creation of an Astronomical Sketching sub-forum.

Sketching is the oldest form of astro-imaging, and is having a bit of a resurgence here on IIS. A sub-forum would seek to encourage, discuss and showcase the work of folks who spend their time at the eyepiece. Very much like the four formal forums that currently exist for imaging.

The link below takes you to the thread on the subject (I've asked Glen for his OK on this, it's his thread this one).

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=72950

Even if you never look into an eyepiece, I appeal to you for your support. Sketching is an element of direct human connection to the sky. A sub-forum on the subject can only further the appeal of IIS to an even wider audience, and enrich the IIS experience for everyone that visits it.

This sub-forum isn't about visual vs. imaging. It's about enrichment.

I've asked Mike Salway about this too. If the support is there, he is only too happy to make it so!

Cheers,

Alex.

[Jen]

At this stage its mostly visual but i do like the best of both worlds so i am heading over to have a crack on the dark side :lol: