Astronomy
Astronomy has been a relevant field to scientists and people generally curious about what is out there beyond our tiny speck of the universe known as Earth. Civilizations like the Egyptians and the Chinese have been using crude instruments and creating basic stellar maps for millennia, and have been theorizing the relationship of planets and satellites, such as whether the sun goes around the earth or vice-versa even before Galileo put his indelible stamp on the issue. Astronomers, with an eye perpetually to the sky, study the physical processes and interrelatedness of things beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Generally, to be an astronomer of any notoriety, one must actively pursue the field by virtue of an advanced degree and years upon years of attention to a specific area of extraterrestrial space. Still, modern astronomy had to have its foundations in amateur attempts to understand the universe. Going back to the relationship between the sun and the earth, it was for a long time assumed and furthermore established as dogma that Earth was the center of our galaxy before astronomers came to realize that this could not be further from the truth. Even today, with advances in technology, so much more information is accessible to scientists and the extent of our reach into the cosmos has been greatly increased, but yet the role of the amateur astronomer has not been eliminated. With the aforementioned advances, more information is also available to the public. Here are a few ways that you can become more active in your pursuit of astronomy, even as a hobby:
1. Obtain a telescope: Professional astronomers have access to some expensive equipment that has the ability to extend what our eyes can see to depths that previous generations likely would not even have dreamed of. Nonetheless, the amateur astronomer may have a telescope at his or her own disposal for viewing the sky and checking out for things that have previously gone unnoticed. One hallmark of the field of astronomy is that events can occur at a moment’s notice. Based on a person’s position on Earth or the very time at when they look into their telescope, even the average person might have a good vantage point for looking at the sky. Furthermore, even if the stargazer may not have a strong idea of what they should be looking for, sometimes a body’s position may be discovered just by pointing in a certain direction. The process of trial-and-error is, in itself, scientific, and sometimes necessary for astronomers to make a discovery.
2. Join a club/find an observatory: Conventional wisdom says that there are strength in numbers, and nowadays, it is not usually an individual astronomer who uncovers and theorizes about a new discovery, but a team of astronomers and other research whose combined efforts result in some much-publicized news. If you are intent on discovery or at the very least curious on becoming a more informed observer of interstellar events, it might be a good idea to check your local area for an astronomy club that meets regularly to discuss and look at the stars, especially in relation to things like constellations and how this may have been used to navigate in older times. Ideally, this club will meet at an observatory or be sponsored by a facility that will allow for use of a higher quality telescope.
3. Internet publication of information: The bulk of what professional astronomers see and use will likely go unnoticed by the amateur astronomer, but some institutions dedicated to the advancement of knowledge and the benefit of humanity as a whole are starting to make their information more accessible to the public. Giants of the Internet that have access to a large amount of informational networks such as Google and Microsoft offer free live images from telescopes and satellites, and services by the former have expanded their Google Earth service to map the position of distant galaxies in an easy-to-use graphical interface.
