Hello all !
Well, seems I have finally plucked up the courage to join this wonderful forum. Here goes...
Just a little intro here - will try to keep it fairly brief. (mmm, wishful thinking)
I have managed to connect with several IIS members here, on Facebook and have had lots of great encouragement to join up here - big thank you to Suzy
, Colin Legg and also to Mike Salway. (I popped the IIS sticker on my car a while ago) I'm also one of those 'lurkers' hovering in the background but found it a bit tricky in getting up the courage to join.
From an Astronomy perspective I am fairly 'green', (read - very),but unashamedly admit to being a big fan for many years - it is only fairly recently, as I have gotten, ahem, a bit older, the passion for the hobby has increased quite substantially. I am hugely keen and want to learn so much in so little time, lol. (not happening fast enough)
Aiming to get my first scope later this year/early 2014, when we move from the suburbs to the beautiful countryside..so looking forward very much to upgrading from a miserly level 5 sky to a nice level 2, from a dark sky perspective. (so have held off in getting the scope for that reason, the darn light pollution.)
Wanting to get an 8-10" Dob so will be scouring the forums here for some advice, am sure there's plenty of that here. Initially, my interest lies primarily in just observing and getting to know the night sky & where things are 'up there'. (constellations & the like) The infinite beauty of the Southern night sky is incredible, so I will be perfectly content to just sit back and observe for a while.
As much as I adore ogling other ppl's fantastic astrophotography, I probably will remain as such with posting the obligatory 'Wow!' on their pics and not actually getting into imaging myself as such. (but who knows?..) Nightscapes interest me however, probably a tad 'easier' perhaps and a bit less cost involved.
A memorable moment for me when I was only about 10 years old, was seeing a meteor streak across the sky, was in the car with my Mum heading away from our (then) house in Long Forest Road. (near Bacchus Marsh) Gerry Rafferty's 'Baker Street' was on the radio..ah, it was magic. The beauty of that moment in time remains vividly in my mind to this day...it certainly had the 'Wow factor'
I had an epiphany that night & became hooked in the wonders of our Universe from that moment I think. My brother joined a while back, he's 'TinyBlueDot', pretty knowledgeable in astronomy & has been a big influence on me in that regard. (thanks JD) Big fan of Carl Sagan's, reading Cosmos at present. I have much to learn but they say the fun is to be had in the journey along the way and not in reaching the destination, so here's to my own astro journey!
Anyway, think I've rambled on for long enough now..sorry it took long for just an intro.! (just blurted out everything I've been carrying round for months) I don't always get a lot of time to be on here but will certainly try my best to contribute when I can..
Bye for now..
Amanda.