Astronomy Hacks

Join an Astronomy Club

Meet others who share your interests, learn a few things from them, and maybe even play with their toys.

The first piece of advice newbies generally hear is to join an astronomy club. We couldn’t agree more. Join an astronomy club. Join an astronomy club. Join an astronomy club. What we tell you three times is true.

Surprisingly few amateur astronomers belong to an astronomy club. For example, we live in Forsyth County, North Carolina, which has a total population of about 200,000. The Forsyth Astronomical Society has only about 50 members. The population of the United States is about 300,000,000. Credible estimates say that between 1,000,000 and 2,000,000 of them are interested in astronomy. On that basis, if all interested Forsyth County residents belonged to the club, it would have between 667 and 1,333 members, many times its actual membership. The same is generally true nationwide, which means a lot of people are missing out on one of the best resources available to learn and enjoy the hobby.

Joining your local astronomy club has many advantages, which usually include:

Help and advice from experienced members

If you’re just getting started, getting advice from more experienced club members can save you a lot of time, money, and aggravation. Unlike magazines—and even some web sites—that must please their advertisers, club members tell it to you straight. If something is junk, they’ll sayso, despite all the pretty full-color ads for it running that month in the astronomy magazines. And you can take that advice to the bank. Most astronomy clubs have a very strong focus on helping new members with everything from buying equipment to learning how to locate celestial objects. It’s difficult to overstate the value of that help for a newbie.

A chance to try out equipment

One of the biggest benefits of belonging to a club is that you can look at other people’s stuff. If you’re thinking about buying a $300 Nagler eyepiece, for example, but would like to see one first, a club is the place to be. Chances are, another club member already has just the eyepiece you’re thinking about buying and would be happy to let you look through it. If you ask politely, he may even let you try it in your own scope. Local astronomy specialty stores are an endangered species in most cities, which means most astronomy gear is bought mail-order nowadays. If you’re uncomfortable buying expensive items sight unseen, get yourself to an astronomy club.

Access to dark-sky sites

As the blight of light pollution has continued to spread, it has become much harder to locate suitable dark-sky observing sites. Making matters worse, property owners’ fear of liability and lawsuits has closed many sites that would otherwise be available to individual observers. Most astronomy clubs devote significant time and effort to locating and maintaining dark-sky observing sites, but for liability reasons those sites are often open only to club members. The small cost of an annual club membership gives you access to those club sites, which for many observers is by itself sufficient reason to join their local clubs.

Club observation sessions

Observing by yourself is a lonely pursuit. Most clubs schedule regular club observing sessions, usually at least on weekends near the new moon, but often at other times during the month as well. Many clubs also periodically schedule field trips to very dark sites, arranging for discounts on lodging and so forth. These club observations allow you to get together with other like-minded people. They’re a great place to ask questions, try out other people’s gear, and so on. Also, don’t discount the safety aspect [Hack #3]. Most predators, two-legged and four-legged, avoid groups of people.

Presentations

Most clubs schedule regular presentations that range from astronomy-related videos to planetarium programs to lectures on timely topics. Many also hold periodic workshops on such topics as collimation, astrophotography, and building your own scope.

Access to the club library

Some clubs maintain a club library that contains field guides, catalogs, observing handbooks, back issues of astronomy magazines, and other reference materials. Quite often, the club library is the only local source for specialized reference books and similar items. Most clubs restrict use of club library resources to club members, so often the only way to get access to them is to join the club.

Loaner equipment

Some clubs maintain club scopes and other equipment that may be borrowed by members. There are often restrictions, such as requiring prospective borrowers to have been members for a certain time and to attend a training session. But if you haven’t yet bought your own scope, a club loaner may tide you over until you do.

Discounts on magazines and books

Many clubs offer discounts on astronomy magazines and books that are available to club members only. For example, Sky & Telescope magazine and Astronomy magazine both offer club discounts that are a significant percentage of many clubs’ annual dues. Similar discounts are often available on specialty items such as the Ottewell Astronomical Calendar, yearbooks, and so on.

Finally, and not least, joining an astronomy club isn’t just about getting. It’s also about giving back. You can share your experience to help others learn and enjoy the hobby. If you’re inexperienced, you may believe there’s not much you can do to help, but that’s not true. There’s always someone with even less experience, and the best teachers are often people who are new enough at it themselves to empathize with the frustrations of a complete newbie. Ask around, find out what needs to be done, and pitch in.

You can locate a local astronomy club by calling the nearest observatory, planetarium, nature-science center, museum, or similar institution, or by contacting the physics/astronomy department of a local college. You can also use the Resources page of the Sky & Telescope web site (http://skyandtelescope.com/resources/organizations/) to search for local clubs.