How many amateur astronomers are there?

Paul Haese · #1 08-08-2011, 04:37 PM

I have often just wondered how many people across the planet are into amateur astronomy. I am not sure really but I think the amount of people would be quite low per capita.

It is a question that I have never seen on the websites I visit.

big_dav_2001 (Davin) · #2 08-08-2011, 04:52 PM

Nowhere near enough

iceman (Mike) · #3 08-08-2011, 04:54 PM

Definitely not enough, but I'm guessing 100,000-200,000.

It's definitely a fairly niche hobby

There would be far more who are just 'interested' in the night sky, but wouldn't own a telescope.

gary · #4 08-08-2011, 04:56 PM

Hi Paul,

Your choice of selections is too small.

We estimate that world-wide there are in the order of 500,000 observing enthusiasts.

Best Regards

Gary Kopff
Managing Director
Wildcard Innovations Pty. Ltd.
20 Kilmory Place, Mount Kuring-Gai
NSW. 2080. Australia
Phone +61-2-9457-9049
Fax +61-2-9457-9593
sales@wildcard-innovations.com.au
http://www.wildcard-innovations.com.au

iceman (Mike) · #5 08-08-2011, 04:57 PM

What can we do to get to a million?

gary · #6 08-08-2011, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

What can we do to get to a million?

Whilst chatting to people, hopefully we recruited a few more over the weekend when
3RF took some large Dobs to the town of Lightning Ridge for a public outreach event.

Groucho Marx once said "I would never join a club that would have someone like me
as a member".

Though astronomy clubs and forums such as IceInSpace draw to them a broad
spectrum of enthusiasts from all walks of life, there are several demographics
of enthusiasts that never join clubs, online forums nor subscribe to astronomy
magazines but whom nevertheless own anything from the most modest to the
most expensive of personal telescopes and whom enjoy observing regularly.

astroron (Ron) · #7 08-08-2011, 05:17 PM

I haven't voted as I don't think the numbers are high enough.

I would say there would be more than half a million.
If there is Six Billion people on Earth then I am sure that there would be at least One million people who could be classed as amateur Astronomers

Cheers

leon · #8 08-08-2011, 05:19 PM

World wide, easily above 1 million i reckon, but i guess one will never know,

Leon

Paul Haese · #9 08-08-2011, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gary

Hi Paul,

Your choice of selections is too small.

I was going to put down 1/2 million but I actually thought that was too high. It is interesting to see some opinions on this.

Over the weekend at Science Alive we must have talked to 20,000 people and of those I reckon maybe 200 said they were interested in joining the astronomical society. Out of that I reckon on 20 will.

I would have thought that 150,000 active amateurs world wide would be correct, but certainly no matter what the number is; there are not enough people involved.

Alchemy (Clive) · #10 08-08-2011, 05:51 PM

I think most people have an interest, albeit passing quickly. Just how many peruse it by purchasing telescopes.... Hmm have to be quite a few, after all astro shops needs to sell a few each week just to stay in business.

Not many would then go on to regularly use them .... Particularly in cloudy Melbourne

Those that would spend 1-2 nights a month in Oz maybee 5000

Only a guess.

AstralTraveller (David) · #11 08-08-2011, 06:14 PM

An interesting question Paul. My wife just commented that if you thought of it earlier we could have got the answer for Australia tomorrow night.

I suppose it depends on how you define 'amateur astronomer'. Owning a scope is a good indication but I know someone who has had a lifelong interest in astronomy and is very knowledgeable but doesn't own a scope, and of course we all know of scopes owned by someone who clearly is no astronomer. There are a couple of things that it would be useful to know.

How many scopes are sold annually, for Oz and worldwide? How many have ever been sold (or built)? I know that is in no way a direct measure but it might help define the order of magnitude. When considering that number you need to remember

there are more scopes sold than there are amateur astronomers
a scope can last for a long time
many astronomers have >1 scope

Another measure would be the number of members of astronomy clubs. Of course not every amateur is in a club and not all members of clubs are really astronomers, but my guess is that: number of club members > number of amateurs astronomers in Aust.

CometGuy · #12 08-08-2011, 06:34 PM

A long time ago I remember reading that Sky & Tel magazine subscriber base as being somewhere around 200-300,000. So based on that you'd think there would be upwards of 500,000

Terry

Paul Haese · #13 08-08-2011, 06:35 PM

Certainly good points Andrew. It would have been great to have it in the census, but highly unlikely. I guess we will never know for sure. Just a chance to speculate.

Perhaps Mike can add a 500,000 to the poll.

rmcconachy · #14 08-08-2011, 06:54 PM

Define "into amateur astronomy". Sky & Telescope (US version) and Astronomy Magazine have about 200,000 subscribers collectively (both have dropped quite a lot in recent years). Add the Europeans/Asians and those who do not subscribe to a magazine and I think Leon's estimate is spot on. However, it is true that we are a niche group. Even hobbies like remote control airplane flying (my father's main hobby) are much more popular than astronomy, let alone something common like birdwatching.

Barrykgerdes · #15 08-08-2011, 07:00 PM

I don't think there are very great number of "amateurs" these days. Looking at the work of a great number of the IIS "amateurs" they are all turning out work that the professionals only dreamed of 30 years ago.

If you spend $xxxxx dollars on gear and then set yourself a program of reasearch are you really an amateur? Of course you don't get paid but what professional astronomers get paid real money for the work they do.

Barry

AstralTraveller (David) · #16 08-08-2011, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul Haese

Certainly good points Andrew. ...

Andrew??

AdrianF (Adrian) · #17 08-08-2011, 07:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

What can we do to get to a million?

Make atro stuff less expensive more people buy more gear. There is a lot of gear I would like to buy but can't afford.

I voted not enough

Adrian

Paul Haese · #18 08-08-2011, 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstralTraveller

Andrew??

Sorry David, bit of a mind slip. Not intentional at all.

jjjnettie (Jeanette) · #19 08-08-2011, 09:54 PM

No wonder NASA is broke, having to pay off hundreds of thousands of us Amateurs so we don't reveal to the public the true position of Nibiru or those alien space craft circling the globe.

adman (Adam) · #20 08-08-2011, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jjjnettie

No wonder NASA is broke, having to pay off hundreds of thousands of us Amateurs so we don't reveal to the public the true position of Nibiru or those alien space craft circling the globe.

Yeah well, they seem to have forgotten my cheque - I am going straight to the press in the morning...