Hey everybody! Just wanted to say thank you for the amazing support during our first three weeks of business. We’ve always hoped that Seattle astronomers would like to have a store where they can come to meet up with other astronomers, get advice on gear and technique, and buy great stuff, and it seems that we were right! We’ve had so many space enthusiasts pop in to say hello and connect with us on social media that we feel like this store, our labor of love, will be a valuable part of this beloved community.
Our blog is a place where we will be addressing some of the most commonly asked questions and posting useful technical information and I’d like to use my first entry to promote the aforementioned astronomical community. One of the questions that we’ve been asked a lot is, “How do you link in to the network of astronomers and get really involved?” Folks tell us that as they start to get interested in stargazing, it’s often difficult to figure out where to start if you want to buy a telescope or join up with other enthusiasts.
We cannot emphasize enough that your first step should be to find and engage with local clubs and organizations. This is where you will find a treasure trove of information, mentoring, and camaraderie. Best of all, many of the community events are cheap or free. We’re talking astronomy clubs, lectures, classes, star parties, neighborhood stargazing, and more. Here in the Puget Sound region, we have a wealth of resources because of our deep ties to aviation, space exploration, and technology, in general.
Ok, but how do you find out what’s going on in the Pacific Northwest?
Be sure to bookmark it, because it is one of the best astronomy blogs around. The founder and author, Greg Scheiderer, writes up the cool astronomy-related happenings in town and keeps the most comprehensive astronomy calendar of events you will find in this area. If you have a telescope or you don’t, if you want to go camping with astronomy geeks, if you want to sip a beer and listen to an astronomy lecture, if you want to learn how to take pictures of the night sky… you will find something here that suits your interests. Give it a look and go participate! We’ll see you at an event sometime soon :-)
Stephanie
