My name is Ryan and I'm a hunter. I don't hunt game though - I hunt the distant, fuzzy objects hidden throughout our universe. My hobby - or obsession, if you please - is astronomy. (Note, that's astronomy, not astrology!!! I have nothing against astrology or those interested in it, but it riles me when people refer to me as an astrologer - the two are very different!).
So my main occupation is the stars, or at least it would be my occupation if I was paid for it. I'm not a professional astronomer, but rather the backyard, amateur variety who willingly gives up hours of sleep on clear nights to hunt the sky for the natural show-pieces of our universe. Be it a freezing night or an attacking swarm of mosquitoes, I'll brave it if the universe promises to reveal a few of its treasures in return. My primary interest is in the objects beyond our solar system. When people find out about my hobby, they're often surprised at how little I focus on the moon and planets - I think it's because many are unaware that far greater things lie beyond our sun's gravitational influence. As beautiful an attraction as the rings of Saturn are and as hauntingly close as the craters and rilles of the moon may seem, I tend not to spend too much time on these "close neighbours" unless there's something really spectacular going on with them.
My main prey - for now - are double stars. For those who don't know, double stars are two or more stars that are seemingly or actually paired up. This awesome "pairing up" (or tripling up or quadrupling up or whatever the case may be) often gives rise to some stunning sights, especially when the stars are of vastly contrasting colours. This, together with the fact that double stars make fairly easy targets in light-polluted skies, is my main draw to these celestial wonders. I've also recently begun observing variable stars and nebulae, all while continuing to tick off the items on my Messier Objects list as I come across them.
My interest in astronomy began as a kid, though I cannot pinpoint when. I just have this lifelong memory of everybody asking me to provide the name of a particular constellation, or to fill them in on the latest news from space (especially around the time of the Mars Rover landings). I didn't get my first telescope until I was around 21, and, sad to say, I was so uneducated in the finer arts of observing that I hastily rushed out to buy an off-the-shelf Bushnell 60mm telescope from Canadian Tire (425x!!!). Critisize these "trash scopes" as many may do, I have to admit to a fondness for it as it was my first true window to the universe. I still remember the cold, clear December night when I brought it home, spent over an hour piecing it together, then headed into my parents' backyard to peer up at the moon. Suddenly the moon became a real place, filled with mountains and valleys and shadows that all seemed so close. I was hooked! Observing the planets came next (I ignored the stars beyond), and I thought my little, wobbly scope was the cat's ass for the longest time. Then I became educated.
It was the autumn of 2004 when I signed up for an evening class in Astronomy through a night learning program. It was an eight session course, from 7-9 pm every Monday. My instructor was a backyard astronomer who had been an enthusiast of the hobby for 20 years, and he remains the greatest influence I've yet come across in the world of amateur astronomy. His name was Guy Nason, and his obvious excitement and passion was well-projected in all eight sessions, and it has clung to me to this day. He was interesting and informative and never ever boring. He even turned me on to the second greatest influence I've come across, Terence Dickinson's excellent book, "Nightwatch." I snatched the book up the day after Guy told us about it, and pored through it front to back then back to front. It, along with Guy, set me on the right course, even helping me to select my current telescope.
Yes, it's sad to say it, but after reading "Nightwatch" and listening to Guy, my little Canadian Tire scope was put back into its box, and there it remains, awaiting the second coming of a novice astronomer. It was just after Christmas, 2004, when, with the information I'd gleaned on what to look for in a good scope and with a few hundred bucks in my pocket, I made my way to Efstonscience in Toronto. There I invested in an 8" reflector on a Dobsonian mount. Everything and everybody told me this was the best deal in the hobby, and I have to say it hasn't let me down. For $500 my window to the universe suddenly got much larger and much clearer than ever before. Again, I set my focus on our celestial neighbours, absorbing what I could of them all. But suddenly there was much more to see beyond the phases of Venus, the clouds of Jupiter, and the polar caps of Mars. Suddenly there were sparkling globular clusters, wispy nebulae, and the enticing smears of distant galaxies to make my worldview that much more humble. Then, after nearly a year of enjoying my new telescope and the new attractions it brought, life changed. I started a new career that demanded I work six days a week, often starting before 6 am. The night became less accessible. After I moved I eventually wound up in an apartment in Brampton, and my telescope - little use to me in the apartment - stayed at my parents' house in Mississauga. The trips down to use it on special occasions became less frequent. They disappeared altogether over the months that followed. Before too long I got married and had a baby boy who will be a one year old on October 5. Only recently (since mid-summer 2008), two years after the magic seemed to have died, have I returned in full-force to my hobby. In fact, I'd say I'm even better and smarter at it now than when I left. I pored through all the books on my bookshelf again, then added more books and pored through those. I visited Chapters and picked up my favourite astronomy magazines (namely "SkyNews"), and completely reacquainted myself with the night sky and all aspects of the hobby I'd either fogotten about or been ignorant of before. I scanned the sky with my eyes, trying to recall the constellations and their brightest stars. I raised my binoculars to the moon and to Jupiter, their faces as famailiar as those of any old friends. Then I returned to my telescope, which even during my absence of use I'd kept well-maintained and well-loved at my parents' place, knowing one day I'd need it again.
It was early August when I dragged it out into my parents' yard again. The first day was just that - it was day, and with my solar filter firmly in place I took in the sun. The sun must have been on holidays, because I'd never seen such inactivty on its surface. But it gave my a chance to reacquaint myself with the workings of my reflector and to test the optics. On the night of the Perseids I returned, setting my scope and myself up for a long night out in the cool, mosquito-filled August air. I wasn't sure what to start looking for. The meteor show provided a proper diversion while I reflected on where to look. I returned to some old familiars, and went through some of the summer target suggestions in the magazines. It was via the latter that I became hooked on double stars and variable stars, and have returned with renewed vigour and enthusiasm to my long beloved hobby. Recent trips to Efstonscience and Khan Scope Centre have increased my supply of accessories (and decreased my funds), and a recent Efstonscience-sponsored star meet in Palgrave has introduced me to fellow observers and fresh perspectives by giving me the chance to look through other scopes (All I can say is, "I want!").Until recently I've forgotten how wonderful and leisurely this hobby is, and how greatly it expands your mind, both in knowledge and in universal perspective. I've slowly begun this blog for the purpose of sharing my insights and observations with others as I gain them at my telescope, and, more importantly, to hear the insights and observations of others who will hopefuly share them here. Though my primary interests (for now) are double and variable stars, I'm keen to listen to (or read about) any other topics related to astronomy, space, astrophysics, etc. So, to "borrow" the words of my former and great instructor Guy Nason, Carpe Noctem!
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