(meteorobs) Why don't more amateurs get it? (Meteors, that is.)

Chris Peterson clp at alumni.caltech.edu
Thu Sep 20 00:58:22 EDT 2007


> During this relatively quiet period of mid-September, I wanted to
> put a question to our forum: why is it, that something so simple,
> so easy, so beautiful, so significant, and so FUN, simply fails to
> capture the imagination of most newcomers to astronomy? Why
> aren't ALL our fellow amateurs out there with lawn chairs, before
> they even pick up their first pair of binoculars? What is missing?

As somebody interested in meteors, I think you are guilty of 
transferring your own enthusiasm to others. For most, dedicated meteor 
observation is uncomfortable and boring. I even feel that way, and I'm a 
meteor researcher! Everybody loves seeing meteors, but very few have the 
constitution to be active meteor observers. And most amateur astronomers 
see plenty of meteors just by virtue of being out under the stars so 
much.

Of course, if Ferris was talking about amateur contributions to science, 
meteor observations should have been included (but realistically, only a 
tiny fraction of amateur astronomers are interested in doing science).

Here's some good news, though. I get thousands of meteor reports 
submitted through my site. One big fireball over Colorado can generate 
500 reports. Over the years, I've had quite a few submissions from 
earlier witnesses, who tell me that the reason they are reporting again 
is because since their first fireball, they spend a lot more time 
looking at the sky.

Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Lew.Gramer at noaa.gov>
To: <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2007 7:08 PM
Subject: (meteorobs) Why don't more amateurs get it? (Meteors, that is.)


>I just finished watching Timothy Ferris' hour-long PBS (US publicly
> supported television) special, "Seeing in the Dark", based on his
> well known and beautifully written book of the same name.
>
> I really enjoyed his view of amateur astronomy and it's many joys.
> I also enjoyed seeing Barbara Wilson, Steve O'Meara and others
> who I've met over the years, sharing their passion for the hobby.
>
> Ferris spent considerable time talking about amateurs' increasing
> contributions to the SCIENCE of astronomy... He spent much of his
> one hour in fact presenting many tools - from computer-controlled
> scopes, to CCDs - that amateurs use to contribute to science. And
> he even filmed O'Meara describing his elation when he discovered
> the spokes of Saturn's rings many years ago, *visually*.
>
> All of this... and Mr. Ferris did not once mention meteors... Not the
> profound, serene simplicity of basking in a beautiful night sky with
> the unaided eye. Nor any mention of the central, almost dominant
> role we amateurs have played in the science of meteors either!
>
> Somehow, in this on-air paean to all things amateur astronomy,
> Mr. Ferris just did not GET IT. And thousands (maybe millions?)
> of other potential future amateurs who view this program won't
> probably ever "get it" either, as a result.
>
>
> During this relatively quiet period of mid-September, I wanted to
> put a question to our forum: why is it, that something so simple,
> so easy, so beautiful, so significant, and so FUN, simply fails to
> capture the imagination of most newcomers to astronomy? Why
> aren't ALL our fellow amateurs out there with lawn chairs, before
> they even pick up their first pair of binoculars? What is missing?
>
> I look forward to hearing others' views...
>
> Clear skies all,
> Lew Gramer



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