How long have you been observing?

[janoskiss (Steve H)]

quite a mix. I'm in the under 2 yrs pile. 1.5 yrs since I bought my 4.5" junk newt, and the Dob shortly after. First view of Saturn through the 4.5" was the hook.

[leon]

Loved the night sky since, forever, and still do now. When Halley was about 3 years away i figured that i better get ready.
Built my 8 inch reflector, and curved bolt astro drive, which are still firmly planted in the back yard, although the back yards have been in different locations over the years.
love the cold frosty nights the best, there so clear.
My dear wife (god love her) still hasn't got used to those cold feet after a nights viewing.

[iceman (Mike)]

Quite an even mix of newbies and experienced people, good to see!

[AstroBug]

Got my binoculars for fathers day 2004. Built a parallel arm for some steady viewing while saving for a scope. Got my dob in Feb 2006..yay!

[chunkylad (David)]

Hi everyone.

16 months for me. I had been eyeing off those camera store reflectors for a couple of years now. However, my wife is to blame for finally getting me started. Dina bought me my 114mm newt/eq combo for Cristmas 2004. This is now my dedicated solar 'scope.

August last year saw the delivery of my pride and joy - my 12" Dob. I've been adding bits and bobs to my collection ever since.

With having fairly good local observing conditions, absorbing every bit of written info I can get my hands on (btw, my Hartungs has become my closest companion.), and reading/sometimes contributing to discussions on this very forum, I have enjoyed one of the steepest learning curves of my life. What a ride!

Cheers

[ballaratdragons (Ken)]

21 years at this current phase. So that just pushes me over the 10 - 20 limit.

Really been at it since I was a grasshopper but didn't get to see thru a telescope until I made one 21 years ago and haven't stopped since. And I still know practically nothing except that it all looks fantastico.

[danielsun]

I remember when i was probably about 7 yrs old looking inside the cover of my older brothers world atlas, a picture of the solar system which i would often gaze at wondering what it was all about and how these planets got there.
My dad gave me a 60mm zoom refractor when i was about 16 which i've just given to my 5 yr old son.
Moved to Brisbane at 25 for 5 yrs bought a tasco 114mm newt from cash coverters and always got up at odd hrs in the morning to observe lunar eclipse's and stuff. Then at 36 got my first serious scope, an 8" dob and the view blew me away.
I'm 38 now and in the last 2.5 yrs have spent a fortune on more gear and loving it.
So overall i've all been into astronomy from a young age but serious observing the last 2.5 yrs.

[mickoking]

Originally Posted by danielsun

I remember when i was probably about 7 yrs old looking inside the cover of my older brothers world atlas, a picture of the solar system which i would often gaze at wondering what it was all about and how these planets got there.

Very similar start to me. I was investigating my parents atlas when I was 7 and in the back it had a small section on Astronomy. One of diagrams was of the solar system and its origin. That moment I was hooked, it was 1976. In 1980 I got my first 'scope (previous post in this thread) and the rest is history.

[Gargoyle_Steve (Steve)]

As per the original intent of this thread - how long have I been observing "in my current phase" - I have to say about 2 months since I bought my dob so I'm in the under 1 year category.

However .... I have always, since a child, loved the night skies and have sepnt so much time looking up there.....

I remember the later Apollo missions (was 5 when Neil Armstrong made that "one step") .... I remember riding my pushbike to the local school oval to see "the space shuttle" fly over, I mean "The" Shuttle, first mission! (Orbit times were listed in the local paper). I remember Skylab, I remember Viking and Voyager and how excited I was to know man was truly exploring other planets, I followed Mir's dramas and the efforts to repair her, I passionately followed Project Stardust well before she ever launched, and was much pleased to finally see her return to earth just this year after almost 7 years and 4.5 billion kilometres of travel (I submitted my name and it was engraved on the silicon wafers attached to the probe).

I remember a couple of great lunar eclipses, I remember at the age of 10 or so seeing a spectacularly bright "fireball" meteor that illuminated our yard like day - for about 2 to 3 seconds! I remember Halley's in 1986 ..... so many memories over the years.

While travelling central Oz in 1999 I walked inside Gosse Bluff - the world's largest comet impact crater, and a few days later my 2 brothers and I flew over it in a small helicopter, camera's running overtime. On the same trip I visited the Henbury Meteroite craters in NT and I now own a couple of small fragments (purchased legit, not taken from the site).

Is it possible to imagine what any of us might be remembering 20 years from now?? I can't wait to find out!

[Tamtarn]

It all started last July when David bought me a Skywatcher 70mm for my 62nd birthday. This was our first ever telescope.

I had always been a Stargazer and David thought I would be able to see more with the scope. WELL ! One look at Saturn and we were hooked.

Six months later we went to Bintel in Melbourne to upgrade to a better Barlow and ended up with a Meade ETX125 PE. This type of scope with a Go To for beginners like us was just what we needed having no idea of how to find deep sky objects. It has taught us a lot.

We then purchased a Bintel 12" Dob 4 weeks ago. We had hoped to use the Meade in conjunction with the Dob to make it easier to find things but with the freezing cold Melb nights we haven't botherd to use the Meade with the Dob yet. So it's back to search and find.

We have been in the hobby for less than 12 months now and we love every minute of it. And being a member of IIS is an added bonus

Does that make us the OLDEST NEWBIES !!

Barb & David

[chunkylad (David)]

Power to you Barb

I'm sure you'll gets lots of enjoyment tracking down those DSOs with your 12" dob.

Cheers

David

[Dujon]

I haven't entered an entry as I don't know where to put myself. I have had an interest in astronomy for probably 50 years. In those early times of my life it was restricted to reading anything and everything that I could find on the subject.

My parents bought me a 2" Tasco refractor sometime in the late '50s which brought me a lot of pleasure (I've still got it - see my sig) and with which I managed, courtesy of a couple of brilliant nights of perfect seeing, to introduce my son to the game. With family commitments and the like I've never been able to buy a decent 'scope - and certainly don't have the skills to make my own, though I've thought of it from time to time. I have however spent quite a few nights outside with binoculars or simply sitting back watching meteors do their thing whilst fighting off the inescapable buzzing insects, shooing away the huntsmen and resisting the effects produced by the inevitable can of beer or glass of wine.

Recently I purchased my Newt. I guess that's my first serious telescope and, even though we've had many cloudy nights since then, I've probably done more observing in that short period than I've done in the last couple of years.

My greatest pleasure since this purchase was my son unexpectedly arriving on my doorstep with the sole intent of using the 'scope (apart from bludging a free meal of course). To be able to share the joy of gazing at Jupiter (we both saw the GRS for the first time) and the delights of Crux and adjacent areas brought back memories of the time we gazed into the Orion complex on a wonderfully clear night when, through the little 2", it looked like peering into a green opening blossom.

So, pigeon hole me as you will.

[EzyStyles (Eric)]

very interesting seeing how long everyone has been observing . Some before when I was born. A few oldies

[Davelrkn]

Hi All
My fathers interest got me started in the late 60's and while he went to meetings and was not allowed to attend(still at school) them used to make do with reading the club newsletters and any other books I could get my hands on.Started work 1970 and brought my first scope and think it was a 6'' Tasco (have been told they made one then) for grand total of $145 those were the days.My interest went astray no club activity and did not pick it up again until the famous Comet in 1986.Since then have not looked back have been foundation member of two Brisbane clubs, so this is my 20th straight year.

Regards
Dave

[bird (Anthony Wesley)]

Originally Posted by OneOfOne

Hey, I think I had the same 60mm Tasco! Still have it, but it is in a box and never gets used as the eyepieces have grown a bit of a beard over the last 30 years or so....haven't we all.

You were lucky... I used to *dream* of the 60mm tasco, I only had the 40mm on the wobbletronic mount what had about 30 minutes of blacklash...

Phase one - the abovementioned 40mm tasco (long gone) when I was about 9
Phase 2 - the schools 4.5" reflector (wow!) at about age 15
Phase 3 - the schools shiny new C8 when I was about 18 (in, err, 1983)
Phase 4 - from 1990 to now after buying a 10" dob and doing a few small upgrades along the way :-)

cheers, Bird

[UniPol]

Since I was 15, that makes it ........, 42 years .

[Glenhuon (Bill)]

I've had an interest in astronomy since I was a boy, but didn't really get into it till I scored a 60mm refractor and GEM from the local tip about 20 years ago. Still got it and it has the occasional outing. It got trotted all over midwest WA in my work ute and gave me some great nights out in the dark skys. Since I retired last year the scope family has grown a bit (as the bank balance decreased in proportion ) and I'm looking forward to many more enjoyable nights.

Bill

[Satchmo]

Aside from casual stargazing as a young boy growing up in Normanhurst in the 60's, the first astronomical event I purposely went out to observe was a lunar eclipse in 1971. I discoved on trying to observe it that I was allready shortsighted, having tried on my Mums glasses to see it better.

From the moment I got my new specs I've been watching the skies regularly ever since, so thats ..36 years I remember being facinated by that first set of optics which sat on my nose, and my first attempt at a telescope used specatacle lenses ( a dismal failure !). I 've been fascinated by all things optical ever since.

[Hagar (Doug)]

About 10 years now but most was with an old pair of 10 X 50 binocs. Still know nothing about it and still changing scopes at a rediculous rate to get the scope that really suits my true interest.(Imaging). I think divorce will be my next step in astro imaging if I dont settle down and stop buying new gear. One thing about having an observatory in the backyard is I can lock the door and get some peace and quiet.

[Ric]

I've been observing for about 37 years now and that has all mainly been visual.

As for imaging I have been doing this side of thing for the last 20 months.

Cheers