Amateur astronomy facts for kids

Amateur astronomers watch the night sky during the Perseid meteor shower.

Amateur astronomy is a fun hobby where people enjoy looking at or taking pictures of amazing things in the sky. They use their own eyes, binoculars, or telescopes. Even though they don't do it for a job, some amateur astronomers help real scientists. They might watch variable stars (stars that change brightness), double stars, or sunspots. They can even discover new comets or supernovae (exploding stars)!

Amateur astronomers don't earn money from studying the sky. Most are hobbyists, but some are very experienced. They might even work with professional astronomers. For a long time, many people studied the sky as a hobby. But since the 1900s, professional astronomy became a separate job.

Most amateur astronomers look at the sky at night when stars and planets are easy to see. But some also watch the Sun or solar eclipses during the day. Some just use their eyes or binoculars. Others use special telescopes or even have their own small observatories. Many amateurs join astronomy clubs. These clubs can teach them how to find and observe objects. They also help share the fun of astronomy with everyone.

What Do Amateur Astronomers Observe?
Tools for Stargazing
How to Find Objects in the Sky
Taking Pictures of the Sky
How Amateurs Help Science
Astronomy Clubs
Famous Amateur Astronomers
- Citizen Science Projects
Awards for Amateur Astronomers
See also

What Do Amateur Astronomers Observe?

An amateur astronomer records what they see when observing the Sun.

Amateur astronomers look at many different things in space. Common targets include the Sun, the Moon, planets, stars, comets, and meteor showers (shooting stars). They also look at "deep sky objects" like star clusters (groups of stars), galaxies (huge groups of stars), and nebulae (clouds of gas and dust). Many amateurs like to focus on one type of object or event that interests them.

One popular part of amateur astronomy is astrophotography. This means taking pictures of the night sky. It has become much easier with digital cameras and special CCD and CMOS cameras.

Most amateur astronomers see things using visible light. But a few try to look at other types of light, like radio waves. An early person to do this was Grote Reber. He built the first special radio telescope in the 1930s. Non-visual astronomy can also use infrared filters on telescopes. Some amateurs even build their own radio telescopes!

Tools for Stargazing

Places like Paranal Observatory have very clear skies for looking at space.

Amateur astronomers use many tools to study the sky. What they use depends on what they like and what they can get. They might just look up with their eyes, use binoculars, or use different kinds of telescopes. They also use cameras and other cool gear to study light. To see better, many amateur astronomers go to places far from city lights. This helps them avoid light pollution. You can buy telescopes, but some amateurs even build their own! Building telescopes can be a hobby itself.

Even though fancy equipment is available, simple tools are often best for some tasks. Binoculars, for example, don't magnify as much as telescopes. But they show a wider area of the sky. This is great for seeing larger objects. Newer phones even have a "night mode" for taking better pictures of the sky.

Amateur astronomers also use star charts. These can be simple maps or detailed books of the whole night sky. There are also many astronomy apps and computer programs. These can create sky maps, help with astrophotography, or plan when to observe.

Many amateurs like to write down what they see. This is called an observing log. They record what they looked at, when, and what details they saw. Sometimes they draw sketches or take photos. This information helps them share their experiences with other hobbyists.

Many websites are made by amateurs to show their images and equipment. Amateur astronomers also connect on online groups. They buy and sell equipment online too. Many use online tools like the Clear Sky Chart to plan their observing nights.

How to Find Objects in the Sky

Some interesting things in the sky are easy to find with just your eyes or a simple star map. But many others are very faint. You need special ways to find them. Here are some common methods:

Star Hopping

Star hopping is a method often used with binoculars or telescopes that you move by hand. You use maps (or your memory) to find bright, well-known stars. Then, you "hop" from one star to the next until you find your target. This is a simple way to find objects near bright stars.

More advanced ways to find objects include telescopes with "setting circles" or "GoTo telescopes."

Mobile Apps for Stargazing

Many apps for smartphones help you find things in the sky. You just point your phone at the sky! The app uses your phone's GPS and gyroscope to know where you are and where you're pointing. It then shows you information about what you're looking at. This includes its name, where it is in the sky, and its constellation. These apps are becoming very popular for finding objects and even helping set up telescopes.

Using GoTo Telescopes

GoTo telescopes have become very popular. They use computers to help you find objects. You just type in the name of what you want to see. The telescope then moves itself to point right at that object! This is much faster than finding things by hand. It also gives you more time to study the object. GoTo telescopes usually need to be set up by pointing them at a few bright stars first. But some newer ones use GPS to set themselves up even faster.

Remote-Controlled Telescopes

Thanks to fast internet and better computer-controlled telescopes, you can now use "remote telescopes." This means you can control a telescope that is very far away, in a dark place. You can take pictures through the telescope using special cameras. The pictures are then sent to your computer over the internet. This lets anyone use powerful telescopes even if they don't own one. Examples include the Bareket observatory and telescope farms in places like New Mexico and Chile.

Taking Pictures of the Sky

An image of the Cat's Paw Nebula made by combining work from professional and amateur astronomers.

Amateur astronomers use many ways to take pictures of the sky. This includes using film, digital SLR cameras (DSLRs), and special CCD cameras. Because CCD cameras are very good, you can even use computer programs to clean up light pollution from your pictures. This means astrophotography is popular even in cities! Special filters can also help block out light pollution.

How Amateurs Help Science

Even though scientific research isn't the main goal for most amateur astronomers, they can still make important contributions. Astronomy is one of the few sciences where hobbyists can still provide useful information. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific even gives awards to amateurs who make big contributions.

Most of the time, amateurs help by collecting data. For example, many amateur astronomers with small telescopes can watch more stars than the few large telescopes professionals use. Groups like the American Association of Variable Star Observers help organize these efforts.

Amateur astronomers often help by watching how bright variable stars and supernovae change. They also help track asteroids. They watch "occultations," which is when an asteroid or the Moon passes in front of a star. This helps scientists learn about the shape of asteroids and the Moon's edge. With more advanced gear, amateurs can even measure the light from objects. This can provide good scientific data if done carefully. Amateurs also look through huge online libraries of images from space telescopes to find new things.

In the past, amateur astronomers found many new comets. Today, big projects with automated systems find most comets first. But amateurs still play a role!

Astronomy Clubs

Amateur astronomy groups often teach the public about astronomy.

There are many amateur astronomy clubs around the world. They are places for people interested in amateur astronomy to meet. Members can be active observers with their own gear or just people who love learning about space. Clubs have different goals and activities. A small club in a dark area might focus on observing nights and star parties. A big city club might have many members but be limited by light pollution. So, they might have regular indoor meetings with guest speakers. Larger national or international clubs often publish their own magazines. Some even have big meetings like science conferences. They might also have groups for special topics, like observing the Moon or building telescopes.

Famous Amateur Astronomers

Sir Patrick Moore helped many people learn about astronomy.

Many amateur astronomers have made important contributions to science and culture:

George Alcock: Discovered many comets and novae (newly bright stars).
John E. Bortle: Wrote about comets and created the Bortle scale to measure how dark the night sky is.
Robert Burnham Jr.: Wrote the famous Celestial Handbook.
John Dobson: Popularized the Dobsonian telescope, which is easy to use.
Robert Owen Evans: Holds the record for finding the most supernovae by eye.
Will Hay: A famous comedian who discovered a white spot on Saturn.
David H. Levy: Discovered or co-discovered 22 comets, including Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9.
Sir Patrick Moore: Hosted the BBC show The Sky at Night for a very long time and wrote many astronomy books.
Grote Reber: A pioneer in radio astronomy. He built the first special radio telescope.

Citizen Science Projects

Amateur astronomers also help with ongoing citizen science projects:

XO Project: An international team that helps find planets outside our solar system.
Many amateurs help with the Zooniverse project, which lets people help scientists with research.

Awards for Amateur Astronomers

Amateur Achievement Award of Astronomical Society of the Pacific
Chambliss Amateur Achievement Award