What is the point of looking at Jupiter more than once (with the same telescope), or looking at stars at all (why not just a star map, or use Stellarium)?
Didn't you recently upgrade from a small scope, as I see now you have a 10". Sorry, but I'm just so surprised at that response.
Matt (Kunama) pretty much summed up how I feel. Though I have a Chardonnay in hand .
I think most of us that do this hobby have a passion, a wonderment, and feel quite emotional with the beauty of the nightsky and peering through a telescope gives us the opportunity to open a window into the universe and ponder the greatness out there and how small we are on this tiny pale blue dot of a planet. Speak of "pale blue dot" Carl Sagan's words sends me into a frozen, teary state. I could sit there for hours just aimlessly whizzing the scope around. So many star clusters there you'll stumble across, like jewels in the sky, all different colours, shapes, it's a magical experience enjoying these beauties alone.
I'm not sensing that emotional connection with you .
I just don't understand why you would only want to see a planet once and you're over it . Sorry, not meaning to be judgmental, but you have a 10" dob, views through it esp. on planets are pretty amazing. They will be back in our nightsky soon enough, don't worry. I don't think there's ever been one time that I've had the scope out and *not* quickly pointed it at a planet and been breath taken .
Watching the shadows of Jupiter's moons transiting the planet is cool!
Even as most of us go onto to do different things within this hobby (I do comet observing), many of us still have that emotional connection.
This hobby takes patience, tolerance and gives us a challenge (in whatever area of astro).
And probably most importantly, it brings us "peace". We feel good after it.
It's only point now is educational - to show littlies learning basic science these things are real, by letting them see first hand and in high school or Uni, repeat fundamental experiments.
There's also some satisfaction in getting the maths right for something you have calculated by going out and observing it (lunar occultations, eclipses, comet orbits and so-on). A few people actually do this stuff (and write software for all to use) and it remains essential that observers occasionally check that it's right.
The days of amateurs making any real contribution of scientific value are long gone simply because the size and complexity of the equipment needed to do so are wel beyond any amateur.
Wavy,your last statement is way off beam.
We have just had a member here being part of a scientific paper as the discover of a galaxy which has very interesting characteristic and being part of a team of professional astronomers in writing such paper.
We have Amateur Supernova discovers who are involved with professional teams, Memember of the AAVSO who do variable stars used by professional astronomers.
Need I go on
Kidding right?
I've been at it for 40 years and I still cant imagine seeing everything. If you are interested in the "Gee Wiz" thing, then you probably need to look at Hubble images which are astounding but are also fabulous scientific images.
However, astronomy is one of the few hobbies in which the amateur can make a real difference and both collaborate and compete with professionals.
You will not get huge image scale on any "planet" other than the moon. However, they all change and its possible to see incredible events over time. Imagine a comet smashing in to Jupiter... for example.
Get into imaging on any level and you can achieve a hell of a lot, including your own "Gee Wiz" images.
I reckon I have gazed at 47 Tuc a thousand times and it still makes me buzz, but you can also go for the deep stuff. Sure you might see I tiny smudge when you hunt for a distant galaxy, but knowing it represents uncountable stars at unfathomable distance and that is pretty impressive. Ever asked yourself how far you can see and then pushed that limit? Great fun.
heaps more... endless really but the hobby often requires patience and perseverance.
Hi Cassie,
If you are still with us, and I hope you haven't taken any of these responses to heart,
If I recall correctly, you are a new mum, trying to observe from a brightish location (Cessnock), and are restricted to setting up you DOB looking out an east facing window.
I can see how those limitations might bring you to this question, which after all, is a fair question.
Many people wonder why we even bother when so much beauty and detail beyond our capabilities are readily available from Hubble and the like.
I think before you judge the hobby prematurely, you need to get out, under a dark sky, with a group of like minded individuals. We help each other, we share experiences, we share equipment, and it is a much more rewarding experience when we share it with others.
I hope you can make it to one of our informal "star parties".
In part response to your specific question, Remember, as the year goes on, and the Earth is differently placed in its orbit, different objects come to view around all year. And the planets are in their own orbits too, so their aspect and closeness to Earth is always changing too.
Astronomy as a hobby is like all hobbies, an artifice along with many others that we humans use create an illusion of meaning in an existence which is otherwise preposterous, fleeting and utterly pointless. That we can do this is a cause for celebration not sadness, what an incredible species we are!
All aspects of the hobby are equally valid whether it be interest in equipment or technology, astrophotography, visual viewing, having the biggest telescope, etc etc. Even contributing to astronomy science. Because science is ultimately about us, not the Universe. The Universe will continue to function independently of our understanding of it regardless of however 'important' we consider our understanding to be.
But astronomy does offer an added dimension compared to say train spotting or bird watching or model aeroplane building or computer gaming. Because with our telescopes and cameras we can look out into the void and actually confront our insignificance! Ideally this should give us a better perspective on our lives, our troubles, our prejudices, how seriously we take things - but humans being humans maybe that might be asking a bit much! Anyway, all it takes is a little bit of knowledge and a lot of imagination. Any scope will do!
So to the OP I'd say do whatever you want to do (other than troll IIS ) but you'll be missing a lot if you think astronomy as a hobby is ticking off the things you've seen or taking a photograph. There are some truly wondrous (and scarey) things out there and the excitement of seeing them and learning about them should never wane!
...... there is not much that betters sitting outside with a glass of Penfolds or d'Arenberg, a couple of eyepieces, an alt-az mount and an optical tube with some nice glass looking at the bright spots and fuzzy smudges that make it possible to surmise that there is life out there somewhere.......
Cut your post down a bit Matt, forgive me please...but...really....it's just not possible to sit outside with your scope and wonder at the universe with quote "a glass of Penfolds" is it? Has to be more than a single glass..no?
Matt in Melb....where it happens to be looking clear tonight
But that is what its all about... beauty and wonder.
Cassie,
If you cannot find anything of interest to do with that big scope, take it to a public place (a park, a lookout, a parking lot etc), point it at the moon and invite strangers to look at it. You will be surprised at their surprise and pleased by the gasps of delight. You might make a new friend or two as well.
Side-walk astronomy it's called, and it will amaze you how amazed others get when they see the moon up close. Show them Saturn and they are gobsmacked.
I hope you work it out. If you can't then sell up and put the money into a hobby that takes your interest. You can always hang out here on IIS for an astro fix just enjoying the photos and conversations. And maybe you'll come back to it another day.
I'm often asked why I go to all the expense & trouble of peering at the night sky - surely Hubble provides infinitely better quality images?
That may be so, but there is something decidedly special about the photons entering your eye originating a few minutes or a few million years ago somewhere in the universe, rather than bouncing from the page of a magazine or computer screen.
You can't beat the seeing on a crystal clear night, the company of friends with big scopes too, a nice cup of tea and later the promise of a hot bacon and egg sarny on the way home. Better than Meth .......I imagine
I have read every reply with interest (some several times). I didn't want to make the post too much about me and finding my area of interest, instead I am appreciating hearing what all the experienced people have to say.. and the scope of the hobby is huge.
Christmas has kept me busy, and the rains have kept my telescope inside, but I have jotted down some of the ideas that particularly appeal to me (I love to learn, so I have been watching youtube astronomy introductions, I am trying to do more nature sketches as a form of bringing peace into my life and love the idea of including the nature beyond what I can see with the naked eye, I love the use of the telescope to heighten interest in science, I look forward to meeting up with some others, and someone mentioned a cup of tea ).
As has been said - the comradery and friendships of fellow amateurs with whom you may spend a pleasant evening with or a week field trip of astronomical self indulgence is something that you may probably remember for life. Being helped and helping others is very rewarding.
Amateur astronomy is such a huge field of interest - its a personal journey that is quite different for everyone and it offers so many different divergences along the way - some of which may become the main game.
It can be curiosities, beauty, intellectual pursuits, science and maths, technical mastery of the equipment and software or the satisfaction of mechanical and electronic problem solving, collecting things and in many cases just the thoughts and anticipation of future prospects and of what is to come - it really is a vast sea of opportunity where the actual act of viewing and exploring the night sky is but one small part of it.
Others have covered it, but one of the real interests in astronomy for me is in the understanding of what you are looking at, distances, the time aspect and just the sheer scale of objects. I get a lot more out of my viewing with the understanding that the smudge I am looking at is a galaxy consisting of millions upon millions of stars and all the gas and dust.
The social aspect is a big part of it too, a friend who also posts on here travels to my place on a semi regular basis to do astrophotography under reasonably dark skies and we often sit there in winter talking of usually reasonably inconsequential stuff, taking in the spectacle on show and drinking whiskey or brandy while the ice starts to form on our gear!
Yes Paul , the social side is a really big part for me as well. , we also have a small group that gets out every so often and just talk about everything and anything to do with science and space , very stimulating .
Perhaps that is why I really loathe sitting inside wasting my time watching TV , like the majority do today .
Brian.
Didn't you recently upgrade from a small scope, as I see now you have a 10". Sorry, but I'm just so surprised at that response.
.
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. Sorry, not meaning to be judgmental, but you have a 10" dob, views through it esp. on planets are pretty amazing. They will be back in our nightsky soon enough, don't worry. I don't think there's ever been one time that I've had the scope out and *not* quickly pointed it at a planet and been breath taken 
That we can do this is a cause for celebration not sadness, what an incredible species we are! 
Anyway, all it takes is a little bit of knowledge and a lot of imagination. Any scope will do!
Yes Paul , the social side is a really big part for me as well. , we also have a small group that gets out every so often and just talk about everything and anything to do with science and space , very stimulating .
