I just finsihed reading the latest dispatch from Celestron which included several photos of the recent RTMC.  Here is a link in case you are not privy to this newsletter:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/celestron-blog/sets/72157618841912759/show/

 After examining these photos I became sorely depressed.  So depressed that I decided the only way out of this grey corner of gloom, a gloom that mirrors the sky conditions over my home for the last month by the way, was to write about my observations concerning said pictures.  I do not know any of the people pictured therein, though I could guess at the names of a few of them by context and reputation.

First of all, are we really getting that old?  Is this the face of our hobby?  The pictures show a homogeneous group of graying white males who are no longer in danger of being asked to do a few pull-ups or any other bit of derring-do that would require abs.  I know, I see the hackles rising out there but be assured that after seeing these pictures I am running, well probably walking, to the nearest gym myself.  Seriously, there was a dearth of young people, or of even middling age, wandering about the conference. 

Now there were some young people in these pictures but it appears that most of them work for Celestron or were forced by familial ties into the wilderness by the aforementioned graybeards.  I would submit that if you are a capable young woman that a career in the astronomical retail business would have tremendous opportunities.  In fact, any amatuer astronomer under forty would appear to be as rare as a blue supergiant in a globular cluster.  What on Earth is going to happen to this avocation in twenty years?  I guess I can only hope that I still have the gumption to wheel up to the eyepiece in the old astronomers home because there doesn't appear that there will be many youngsters around to drive an old codger out to the mountains for even a quick nekkid eye view of the old Drinkin' Gourd.

Another observation is why these images didn't get edited.  I have never seen such a large collection of aging posteriors in broad daylight.  I did several twirls in my office chair to espy mine own but was unable to visualize it clearly.  After looking at these pictures I am happy that my gyrations were unsuccessful.  Again, were they trying to emphasize our age by showing the poor old sod, beaming with pride alongside his beautiful telescope, with his fly undone?  Is this a subliminal declaration that we are getting absentminded about such ordinary things as personal appearance as we grapple with the universe?  For the love of God man, didn't someone look at those pictures and perhaps crop them a bit?

I guess it is a sign of our aging times, like the directions to the conference placed below the House for Sale sign.  Looking at these pictures just reminded me of how little time left I have to enjoy the wonders of the cosmos.  In any case I hope that in future any pictures that might be forthcoming about a meeting between amatuer astronomers focus tightly on the scopes, images taken with said scopes, or items that can be attached to scopes.  I will accept faces of attendees or full length pictures of manufacturer employees, age appropriate of course, in a pinch.

And so I take my leave, much like the Exit signs so thoughtfully placed above the open side of the exhibitor tents lest we over the hill types forget how to egress a structure with three solid sides and one open one, and apologize to anyone and everyone who happened to be there and was photographed and thus mentioned by me. Note that no names were used in writing this to protect the innocent.

With tongue planted firmly, but decidedly sadly, in an aging wrinkly cheek,

L

I just did a brief inventory, Leo and here's how I stack up:

Hair the color of old quarters?      Check

Waistline expanded to the size of the national deficit?          Check

Goofy expression framed by a beard only slightly less gray than the remaining hair (not including nose and ear)?           Check

Ballooned posterior?        No (one small boon from Chronos)

Prone to wearing odd, ill-fitting hats?         Check

I knew there was a reason I felt at home as a star gazer.

I see your point and agree. However, it seems fitting that this is the case. The "older" people, or retirees, have had more time to make the money needed to purchase the larger, more advanced scopes (I know that's not always the case, please, just bear with me). Also, if your retired you can go to these events in the middle of the day which is the only time they were taking pictures (I assume to preserve nightvision).

When your younger, the time and money is a factor. As you age you've got a family to tend to. Once your a "greybeard", you finally have time to enjoy the cosmos at your leisure.

I also fall into the catagory of being an "older" observer.  Just never had time when I was younger, working all the time, running after the girls, and other misguided things I won't go into.  I am getting ready for the purchase of a lifetime, and it comes with the youngest getting ready to leave the nest...(thankfully)!

I guess the next thing for me to do is to get some hair coloring, and maybe a few implants for the growing spot.

I will try to get the kids involved.  But they are doing things I did when I was that age....

Scott (growing old stinks) B

It's hardly news that amateur astronomy, like a number of other similar traditional hobbies such as ham radio, is graying.  Editorials on the subject have appeared in the magazines over the past decade or so.  There are still young people interested in the hobby but there are many distractions today and with the economy in dire straits it's difficult for some to justify the expense that can be involved.

Dave Mitsky

I agree guys, we are getting old.  The humour I see in the situation is of course a defensive mechanism to keep me on an even keel.  Though I must admit that my hair has retained its colour and fullness into my declining years the age spots and middle age spread give me away.  My nephew was fully into observing and I helped him along but as he is now entering High School he has determined that playing trumpet in a band gives him better cool points with girls than peering through a telescope.  Hopefully I will still be around to renew our shared interest in the stars in 10 years or so.

As for the hobby being expensive, I find that if one just wants to observe it is cheaper than ever.  Decent sized Dobsonian reflectors can be had for a fraction of what a 90mm Unitron cost us 40 years ago.  It gets expensive when we get aperture fever and/or start doing some serious imaging. But if one just wants to look around and explore a 6" Dob is pretty cheap, cheaper than some of those video game setups out there I believe.

But of course that was only the kernal of truth in the thread that I wrote.  In the main it was an arrow shot to the funny bone to help us laugh at ourselves and perhaps take things a bit easier as we go about our business of staring up at the night sky.  Or perhaps I have suffered just one too many of those "Bonk" moments after forgetting just exactly where the focuser is on the tube. 

Enjoy your day,

L

 Hello "old friend", ,

 your observations of those images only really shows that you are close to the truth, and, i myself can see the humor in your posting.

I guess i, like many others, started in this hobby in my younger days, for me at least, it was the Apollo missions and the first manned moon landing that gripped my imagination, exciting times indeed. But, i was a young person back then, only 15 or so!

Then, as should be expected, slowly other things here on this planet of ours got my attention, girlfriends ,disco`s and the ever increasing gadget fest as the years rolled on. Finally i met my wife and settled down to raise a family, so any thought of Astronomy took the back burner, it simply appeared at least that there were far more exciting things in life.

As the family grew and the Children flew the nest to make lives of their own, i found myself floundering, thoughts turned over in my mind questioning what would i do now! How would i fill my time. Thats when Astronomy came to my rescue, i could re-kindle my interest in my later years with better scopes available and a new interest in astro imaging which was not available back in the late 60`s for the average Joe.

We do need young minds to take interest in Astronomy, and i can say that they do, my own 9 year old Grand daughter has a keen mind and spends time with me at the scope, however, i fully expect that one day soon, other things will push back her interest, but then, perhaps that like me at some later stage in her life the interest will return and bloom. I sure hope so!

Tom. 

Did you see this story? It definitely made me smile.

Karri Ferron:

Did you see this story? It definitely made me smile.

I remember reading that story somewhere before, and with Caroline being only 14, it made reading about the discovery that much more enjoyable. I wonder what the age is for the oldest person who has discovered a supernova?  Maybe I would have a shot at that one.

theyppmc:

 Hello "old friend", ,

Good one Tom!

I think you have indeed hit the mark as it appears that Astronomy seems to be the avocation for the very young or the very old.  As Karri pointed out the school aged youngsters are able to carve out time for astronomy as we did when her age, and as you and others have mentioned it sort of goes away during the later teen years not to blossom again until retirement age when one is seeking something to do other than watching the TV or taking up golf.

I guess that I am the anomoly as I just kept looking up all through my life.  The frequency and the extent of the involvement varied but never left me.  Of course not being blessed with children most likely had a big hand in that it would seem based on others comments.

My fear that Astronomy was becoming the venue of graybeards, along with such things as knitting, bowling, mall walking, or bingo parties was raised by viewing these pictures of our generation.  I am hopeful that youngsters don't see this avocation as something for old men to do in their declining years but as something worthwhile that can be persued throughout life and then shared with their kids and grandkids.

An interesting point though is that perhaps the way we do things is changing.  The computer seems to be an ever more popular interface than the eyepiece. The old romantic in me prefers the old method of one eye peering through the scope in the dark but maybe when I become ever frailer with age that computer guided scope might be rather comfortable on a cold winter's evening after all?

Nah,

L

leo731:

As for the hobby being expensive, I find that if one just wants to observe it is cheaper than ever.  Decent sized Dobsonian reflectors can be had for a fraction of what a 90mm Unitron cost us 40 years ago.  It gets expensive when we get aperture fever and/or start doing some serious imaging. But if one just wants to look around and explore a 6" Dob is pretty cheap, cheaper than some of those video game setups out there I believe.

That's true but even a simple 6" Dob, say an Orion XT6, with an additional eyepiece or two and/or a Barlow lens, sky atlas, observing guide, and a few other accessories is going to cost around $400 with shipping.  The United States now has a 9.5% official unemployment figure (with a real rate that is considerably higher) and part-time jobs are very scarce for teenagers.  In addition, family debt loads are very high so I can't help but think that telescopes will increasingly be seen as unaffordable extravagances.

Dave Mitsky