Astronomy as a Hobby

Astronomy has been my hobby for over 50 years.  I especially enjoy observing variable stars, and have been a member of the AAVSO since 1975.

I
grew up in Pewaukee, Wisconsin.  Some neighborhood friends and I first
got interested in astronomy during the late 1950's, right before the
time of Sputnik.  We would call each other up and ask, "Do you want to
go astronomying tonight?"  That's why I have always thought of
"astronomy" as a verb rather than as a noun.  It's something you do, not just something you read about.

More
and more kids in the neighborhood became interested, and we started a
club.  At one point I think there were almost 30 of us.  Richard R.
Fink, a member of the Milwaukee Astronomical Society generously offered
to be our teacher.  In December of 1958, he gave us a book with this
inscription:

"Use
this book to your advantage.  The book itself can be destroyed but not
the knowledge you can gain from it.  Go out and do observing.  What you
observe is not too important; what you come to understand about the
Universe and Man from your observing, is important.  Best wishes, good
luck, and good seeing." 

Many years later I passed the same advice on to my own high school astronomy students. 



Syzygy is my favorite word. It means "the nearly strraight-line configuration of three celestial bodies in a gravitational system."