Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the sky, and the plethora of objects found in it, mainly with portable telescopes and binoculars. Even though scientific research is not their main goal, many amateur astronomers make a contribution to astronomy by monitoring variable stars, tracking asteroids and discovering transient objects, such as comets.
Read more about Amateur Astronomy: Overview, Amateur Astronomy Objectives, Common Tools, Common Techniques, Scientific Research, Societies, Notable Amateur Astronomers, Prizes Recognizing Amateur Astronomers
Other articles related to "amateur, amateur astronomy, astronomy, amateurs":
... Amateur astronomers use a range of instruments to study the sky, depending on a combination of their interests and resources ... Commercial telescopes are available new and used, but in some places it is also common for amateur astronomers to build (or commission the building of) their own custom telescope ... Some people even focus on amateur telescope making as their primary interest within the hobby of amateur astronomy ...
... Valparaiso Region) Department of Astronomy (RASTRO), University of Concepcion (Bio-Bio Region) Chilean Association of Astronomy and Astronautics (ACHAYA) (Metropolita ...
... Amateur Achievement Award of Astronomical Society of the Pacific Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award ...
... Amateur astronomy, also called backyard astronomy and stargazing, is a hobby whose participants enjoy watching the sky, and the abundance of objects found in it, mainly with portable ... Even though scientific research is not their main goal, many amateur astronomers make a contribution to astronomy by monitoring variable stars, tracking asteroids and discovering transient objects, such as ... The typical amateur astronomer is one who does not depend on the field of astronomy as a primary source of income or support, and does not have a professional degree or advanced academic training in the subject ...
... Collectively, amateur astronomers observe a variety of celestial objects and phenomena ... Common targets of amateur astronomers include the Moon, planets, stars, comets, meteor showers, and a variety of deep sky objects such as star clusters ... Many amateurs like to specialise in observing particular objects, types of objects, or types of events which interest them ...
Famous quotes containing the words astronomy and/or amateur:
“Awareness of the stars and their light pervades the Koran, which reflects the brightness of the heavenly bodies in many verses. The blossoming of mathematics and astronomy was a natural consequence of this awareness. Understanding the cosmos and the movements of the stars means understanding the marvels created by Allah. There would be no persecuted Galileo in Islam, because Islam, unlike Christianity, did not force people to believe in a “fixed” heaven.”
—Fatima Mernissi, Moroccan sociologist. Islam and Democracy, ch. 9, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. (Trans. 1992)
“The true gardener then brushes over the ground with slow and gentle hand, to liberate a space for breath round some favourite; but he is not thinking about destruction except incidentally. It is only the amateur like myself who becomes obsessed and rejoices with a sadistic pleasure in weeds that are big and bad enough to pull, and at last, almost forgetting the flowers altogether, turns into a Reformer.”
—Freya Stark (1893–1993)