OK, I know there was a post on this before, but replies are REALLY slowing down. I would like to pose the question a little bit differently. Whenever I tell some one that I LOVE ASTRONOMY, I get these weird looks. I don't know any astronomers my age. Do you get any similar responses from other people? What teen age group is there anyhow?

 

I am 14!

Maybe they're think'n astrology and missing your whole point ......

It seems few and far between . I work with 150 anothers and only two of those have any interest in astronomy .

Steve S

It's great that you have that kind of intellect at that age!...And by the time ya get old like me you should be an expert in the field or a (guru) if ya stay with it!...........I'm old!....Don't even ask!

Anyone that gives you a weird look is a fool. Seriously. I hate when ppl judge you by your hobbies. I like having fires and drinking in my backyard with friends and neighbors. It always blows them away when I start talking about astronomy. I've been called a "geek" on more than 1 occasion.....until people meet me in person (especially when I wear my camo's and start showing off my hunting rifles) HAHAHAHAHA. 

I have NEVER belittled ANYONE for their personal taste in hobbies. Some ppl collect stamps, some ppl collect butterflies, some knit or sew....ALL of these I have absolutely ZERO interest in. However, I would never ever give them a mortified look like they were oddballs for doing such things.

Most of the time, people who give you a stupid look, don't have any hobbies of their own. They probably sit in front of the TV all day and do nothing.... 

Woops...forgot to answer the question. I am 37. 

also 37....

i get the looks too. people are like.......whaaaaaaat? i am 20.....none of my friends are as fascinated with astronomy as i am......it sucks, but hey i dont know. i just think a lot of people think astronomers are people that sit on a mountain with their scopes, being smart science people and do nothing but that (this is what i thought)........but as i have learned astronomy fans are all ages and DON'T live on mountains and don't have to be super smart scientists, because i'm not!

I am new to astronomy but I am 26. :)

I love astronomy, and I'm 16!

I been into astronomy for 10 years and I just got my first decent scope. 

I am 38                         StarCarpenter

Hi Astrochick,

I started in astronomy when I was 12 years old. That was a long, long time ago. Things were a bit different back then since the Space Race was on and looking up at the stars didn't seem so weird for kids, but upon entering high school I kind of kept the observing to myself as the title of geek was popping up. Sigh. One of the reasons sites like this are popular is that people like us are a minority in the general population.  Even my wife thinks it odd that I like peering at "little blobs of fuzz" but since she knows where I am at night she doesn't mind. LOL.

Just enjoy what you are doing and and your true friends will accept your hobby, even though they might laugh on occasion about their 'egghead' companion. LOL

Keep lookin' up Astrochick.  Some day your friends will catch up to you.  My 5 year old grandson is aldeady starting to show an interest in the moon and stars (I wish he didn't live 1,500 miles away).  I'm just a little bit older than Rock 'n Roll and have been interested in astronomy since I was about your age, but didn't get my first telescope until about a year and a half ago.

I am 23, and love astronomy. I attended Rice University, where I graduated as 1 of 2 astronomy/astrophysics majors! In an intellectual world such as a top tier school, I was always amazed at how little interest there was in astronomy. I think we graduated a hundred bio/chem majors. Why such a big discrepancy?

Take that ignorance and thrive on it. Look at a star and tell yourself "I may be the only person in the world looking at this object at this very moment." You'll fall even more in love with the sky.

36 years here  just starting stargazing, I'm also milsurp gun collector so I know the wierd looks.

I hold a masters in History and several other degrees as well and can tell you the reason there are so many bio/chem majors and so few Astonomers. Show me the money!  If not the parents than the undergrads have definite plans on how their choice major is going to get them big bucks with a big company. The academic life is not for them!

 Hello; I understand your problem and all the replies here will be truly sympathetic ! However don't you think you exacerbate your problem by using that four-letter word - I mean couldn't you just say that you are fascinated by astronomy and so make life easier, especially  when talking to fourteen year old girls !

 I dont get funny looks but do get smart-alec comments from some ppl. Will be 49 in 5 days

I´m 45 this year and get alot of looks/comments about my new hobby.

I dont believe its because my hobby is Astronomy, but because people have a fear of what they dont know and is then easier to ridicule. 

 Strange looks, off hand comments ? So who would care? Amateur astronomy has always been a somewhat solitary pastime, There are many more clubs and groups now than there used to be and the advent of the internet has certainly increased the speed of communicating.

Young old inbetween, there's something for everyone.

My grandfather was born when Ulysses S. Grant was president, so figure my generation. 

I started out knowing absolutely no one who had an interest in astronomy, but over the years through belonging to a club I have made many friends of whom I mostly surround myself with now, and so don`t often get the problem of people looking at me strangely anymore. I also found back in the early teens there was the whole usual trend of what was `cool` and what wasn`t, having an interest in anything remotely science related sadly wasn`t `cool`, I`m sure there would have been more people who would have taken an interest if not for stereotypes. I think you will find as you get older you will come across more like minded people of your own age.

My cousin called me last night.,  Told me the little neighbor kid was out on his bike and mentioned that it was his birthday tomorrow.    He asked the boy who now will be 6 years old what he wanted for his birthday?   And the kid replied...."A Telescope!"