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Hi Doogal,
You and I both entered the world of astronomy about the same time.
I purchased my first telescope on the afternoon of 31 May 2007, and
Jonathan, IIS ID AstroJunk, very kindly gave me a book titled
NightWatch, A Practical Guide to Viewing the Universe, by Terence
Dickenson, and published by Firefly Books Ltd.
There is a wonderful article in it that helps to get your head around
the vastnes of the universe. It is written by Sir James Jeans and is
titled The Universe In Eleven Steps.
Here is the first paragraph:
Astronomy stretches the mind like nothing else in human experience.
Enormous distances, sizes and timespans challenge the imagination;
alien concepts like black holes and galactic cannabalism strain
comprehension. Yet it is possible to bring the total picture - the
structure and extent of he entire universe - into focus.
From there, Sir James goes on to present a step by step aproach to
understanding this vastness.
A thoroughly good read, and very informative.
If you can get a hold of a copy of this book, I cannot recommend it
strongly enough. No matter if you are a beginner or a seasoned
amateur astronomer.
Happy stargazing,
John.
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