by Bill Pellerin

Houston Astronomical Society

GuideStar editor

An amateur astronomer is one person, with one telescope, observing under clear, dark skies, right? It's you, your telescope, and the sky. Much of my observing is like that, but not all. You can (and you should) connect with fellow amateur astronomers because these connections can significantly enhance your observing program and your appreciation of the night sky.

Recently, I had dinner with one of my long-time astronomy friends. We were chatting about the issues he was having with his research-grade instrument and control system and about my equatorially mounted setup. We talked about how the control systems model the sky, the accuracy of pointing systems, the benefits of adding software that improves pointing, and so on.

I talked about my variable star photometry program (measuring the brightness of stars) and how some of my unguided images have tracking errors and had to be discarded from the image stacking process. Then, he mentioned the PEC (periodic error correction) capability of my mount and asked if I was using it. Uh, no, I haven't been. This is one of those 'duh' moments when you realize that you have a capability and you're not taking advantage of it. So, I'm going to work with my mount's PEC capability, learn it thoroughly, and see what it can do to improve tracking. Sometimes, you need a friend to remind you of the obvious.

by Bill Pellerin

Houston Astronomical Society

GuideStar editor

An amateur astronomer is one person, with one telescope, observing under clear, dark skies, right? It's you, your telescope, and the sky. Much of my observing is like that, but not all. You can (and you should) connect with fellow amateur astronomers because these connections can significantly enhance your observing program and your appreciation of the night sky.

Recently, I had dinner with one of my long-time astronomy friends. We were chatting about the issues he was having with his research-grade instrument and control system and about my equatorially mounted setup. We talked about how the control systems model the sky, the accuracy of pointing systems, the benefits of adding software that improves pointing, and so on.

I talked about my variable star photometry program (measuring the brightness of stars) and how some of my unguided images have tracking errors and had to be discarded from the image stacking process. Then, he mentioned the PEC (periodic error correction) capability of my mount and asked if I was using it. Uh, no, I haven't been. This is one of those 'duh' moments when you realize that you have a capability and you're not taking advantage of it. So, I'm going to work with my mount's PEC capability, learn it thoroughly, and see what it can do to improve tracking. Sometimes, you need a friend to remind you of the obvious.

Another friend, at a star party, wasn't getting good alignment of his computer controlled telescope mount. After we talked about it for a while, he realized that he had selected Castor as an alignment star but had incorrectly pointed his telescope at Pollux instead of Castor. Oops.

It's not often the case that I get all the knowledge I need from a conversation with another observer, but it is often that I get pointed in the right direction – I walk away from the discussion knowing what I need to look into, what I need to learn. This isn't always about equipment or operating the equipment, sometimes it's about the science of astronomy. (Did Edwin Hubble see the expansion of the universe by measuring the red shift of the Andromeda Galaxy? No, because the Andromeda Galaxy is moving toward us, so it isn't redshifted at all, it's blueshifted.)

There are plenty of opportunities for sharing. A star party is all about sharing the view. Do you have an object in your eyepiece that is worth sharing? Do it. It's fascinating how different telescopes provide different views of the same object. They can all be great views, but they have a different character. For example, a wide field telescope view of the Veil Nebula under dark skies is amazing. Think of it; you're looking at a supernova remnant from a star that exploded 10,000 years ago. A larger, narrow field telescope will show you parts of the nebula in far greater detail. You will be amazed by the structure in the Veil.

We're a diverse group, and we all don't look at the same kinds of objects in the sky. The large telescope crowd is often looking for galaxies or other objects on the edge of their ability to detect. I'm using a relatively small refractor, so I'm looking at brighter objects, not because that's all I can see but because these objects are interesting to me. The point is, you should see the universe through someone else's eyepiece sometime. You may find a class of objects that you've overlooked in the past. You may better appreciate the objects you can see in your telescope when you understand how other objects fit into the scheme of things.

Astronomy clubs – What a great resource these are. Clubs vary in size and in resources and activities, but the members share a common love of astronomy and, usually, observing. Many clubs either have a dedicated observing site or have observing locations on public lands that they use. A weekend outing to one of these sites is similar to a small star party. Everyone is there to observe, share, and learn. Clubs can offer other resources, such as lectures or loaner telescopes. Imagine that… everything you need to get started in amateur astronomy for the cost of a club membership. Need to find a club? Look at the Astronomical League web site, www.astroleague.org, under 'Member Societies'.

How about on-line astronomy friends? Just like looking at a photo of the Crab Nebula is never as exciting as seeing the object through an eyepiece, being connected to people online is not quite the same as being connected to them in person. That said, there is a lot of value in online connections. An online connection can be a supplement to a personal connection and can help maintain the friendship. Sometimes, we have come to the limit of our ability to solve a problem and we post a question on an online discussion group. This almost always results in an answer and often results in a conversation among interested astronomers in the group. The answer may just point you in a direction you hadn't thought about.

So, if you're a solitary observer with your own observing site, make the effort to engage with other amateur and professional astronomers. You can help each other with discussions of equipment, techniques, and the science of astronomy.