Learning the night sky, a personal experience…
With all the information available for us on the Internet and in all the latest astronomy books, it's easier than ever before to learn about the many wonderful objects that are in the night sky. But to really appreciate and feel the magnificence of it all, you really do need to open your door and go outside and look up at the night sky. What YOU see and feel is completely a personal experience just for you!
You may see a beautiful crescent Moon and ask yourself, why is the Moon a crescent tonight? You may see a pretty pattern of stars and ask yourself, what is that constellation? You may see a stunning flash blaze across the sky and you may ask yourself, what on Earth was that?
If you are of a curious nature, you will want to know and find out more about these incredible things, you may even want to start to record what you see by making drawings or like me, start taking images of what you discover in your night-time sky.
We live in a most remarkable time to personally learn all about our Solar System and the universe we live in. The technology available to us in the way of computerised telescopes and digital cameras is just amazing. A serious amateur astronomer can now take images of the planets and deep sky objects in unprecedented detail and beauty that would have been impossible just 10 years ago.
My personal advice is to take it slowly and to enjoy the experience. You have plenty of time to take it all in and to learn at your own pace. You may just like to learn the constellations first then learn all about the Moon and the planets. This gives you a good grounding and knowledge of the night sky for when you progress to obtaining your first telescope to see more deeply and clearly into the universe.
I also highly recommend that you find out if there is a local astronomical society close by, where you can meet like-minded people who will help and encourage you to enjoy your passion with astronomy.
My local astronomy club is called the Southern Astronomical Society and we are situated on the Gold Coast in QLD Australia.
I’ve been a member of SAS for the past 25 years and have been on the management committee for many of these years in the roles as Secretary, Vice-president, but mainly as the President. After so many years on the SAS committee (which I enjoyed immensely) I have now retired but will always be an active member of this wonderful astronomy club.
I was very humbled and proud to have received from the new committee when I retired a lifetime membership to SAS
What a wonderful thing to have happened, thank you all so much :-)
I’ve had the most amazing privilege to be a member of NASA’s Saturn Observation Campaign (SOC) since 2002, where I get to share with the community all the incredible images and discoveries that have been made at Saturn by the remarkable Cassini spacecraft.
I also love to set up my large telescope and let people see the real planet Saturn through the eyepiece. Saturn is the most beautiful planet in the whole Solar System and to see those stunning rings and its soft buttercup colour just floating there in the vastness of space…it literally just takes some peoples breath away, what an awesome thing to share with people no matter what age they are.
Please visit my SOC page to see current Saturn events at:
http://www.mystardustobservatory.com/nasas-saturn-observation-campaign.html
I love teaching children about astronomy and space and run the Stardust Junior Astronomy Club at the Runaway Bay Library for children aged from 6 to 12 years old. In 2020 we will celebrate our 9th birthday…I really have so much fun teaching these budding astronomers all about astronomy and space.
Please go to my Stardust Club page at:
http://www.mystardustobservatory.com/stardust-astronomy-club.html
If you live near the Gold Coast please come along to one of our SAS club meetings or field nights as we warmly welcome new people who have an interest in the night sky. You are most welcome to download the current e-newsletter called EH (Event Horizon) which has all the latest news and club events. (Please click on the SAS logo to go to the website) or go to: https://sas.org.au/
My web site is to share my love of astronomy and space and hopefully you may find something that helps you on your journey of learning all about this wondrous universe that we all live in.
Happy Stargazing…Noeleen
With all the information available for us on the Internet and in all the latest astronomy books, it's easier than ever before to learn about the many wonderful objects that are in the night sky. But to really appreciate and feel the magnificence of it all, you really do need to open your door and go outside and look up at the night sky. What YOU see and feel is completely a personal experience just for you!
You may see a beautiful crescent Moon and ask yourself, why is the Moon a crescent tonight? You may see a pretty pattern of stars and ask yourself, what is that constellation? You may see a stunning flash blaze across the sky and you may ask yourself, what on Earth was that?
If you are of a curious nature, you will want to know and find out more about these incredible things, you may even want to start to record what you see by making drawings or like me, start taking images of what you discover in your night-time sky.
We live in a most remarkable time to personally learn all about our Solar System and the universe we live in. The technology available to us in the way of computerised telescopes and digital cameras is just amazing. A serious amateur astronomer can now take images of the planets and deep sky objects in unprecedented detail and beauty that would have been impossible just 10 years ago.
My personal advice is to take it slowly and to enjoy the experience. You have plenty of time to take it all in and to learn at your own pace. You may just like to learn the constellations first then learn all about the Moon and the planets. This gives you a good grounding and knowledge of the night sky for when you progress to obtaining your first telescope to see more deeply and clearly into the universe.
I also highly recommend that you find out if there is a local astronomical society close by, where you can meet like-minded people who will help and encourage you to enjoy your passion with astronomy.
My local astronomy club is called the Southern Astronomical Society and we are situated on the Gold Coast in QLD Australia.
I’ve been a member of SAS for the past 25 years and have been on the management committee for many of these years in the roles as Secretary, Vice-president, but mainly as the President. After so many years on the SAS committee (which I enjoyed immensely) I have now retired but will always be an active member of this wonderful astronomy club.
I was very humbled and proud to have received from the new committee when I retired a lifetime membership to SAS
What a wonderful thing to have happened, thank you all so much :-)
I’ve had the most amazing privilege to be a member of NASA’s Saturn Observation Campaign (SOC) since 2002, where I get to share with the community all the incredible images and discoveries that have been made at Saturn by the remarkable Cassini spacecraft.
I also love to set up my large telescope and let people see the real planet Saturn through the eyepiece. Saturn is the most beautiful planet in the whole Solar System and to see those stunning rings and its soft buttercup colour just floating there in the vastness of space…it literally just takes some peoples breath away, what an awesome thing to share with people no matter what age they are.
Please visit my SOC page to see current Saturn events at:
http://www.mystardustobservatory.com/nasas-saturn-observation-campaign.html
I love teaching children about astronomy and space and run the Stardust Junior Astronomy Club at the Runaway Bay Library for children aged from 6 to 12 years old. In 2020 we will celebrate our 9th birthday…I really have so much fun teaching these budding astronomers all about astronomy and space.
Please go to my Stardust Club page at:
http://www.mystardustobservatory.com/stardust-astronomy-club.html
If you live near the Gold Coast please come along to one of our SAS club meetings or field nights as we warmly welcome new people who have an interest in the night sky. You are most welcome to download the current e-newsletter called EH (Event Horizon) which has all the latest news and club events. (Please click on the SAS logo to go to the website) or go to: https://sas.org.au/
My web site is to share my love of astronomy and space and hopefully you may find something that helps you on your journey of learning all about this wondrous universe that we all live in.
Happy Stargazing…Noeleen
Starry starry night – look up and discover your night sky | Noeleen Lowndes | TEDxHelensvaleLibrary
I was very honoured to be asked by the librarians at the Helensvale Library to be a speaker as part of their wonderful TEDx event. I called my talk ‘Starry Starry Night’ and for the first time ever I shared my story on how I started to learn the night sky so many years ago.
I do hope you may be inspired a little by the talk to go outside, look up and discover your starry night sky :-)
I do hope you may be inspired a little by the talk to go outside, look up and discover your starry night sky :-)
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~ SAS Meetings held at the Oxenford Pony Club
Charles Crossing Rd,
Upper Coomera QLD ~
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~ Some of my SAS buddies as we receive our InOMN participation of thanks certificates ~
