They weren't really as impressed as I had expected? hoped? grown used to? I don't know whether this was because it's Friday night and they were a bit hyper, or whether they're just totally disinterested, or what. They seemed more interested in fiddling with the focus, to make the blob of light get bigger or smaller! Which is interesting enough, I guess, when you're under 10.
It got me thinking about why I expect children to be interested in astronomy, or at least hope they will be. I don't remember when I first got interested in astronomy. I know I'd never looked through a telescope before about the age of 15; I was dead keen on the planets etc well before that, though. It seems trite and a bit like an excuse to say that kids these days have access to things ranging from awesome docos about the planets, including footage from the Cassini missions and so on, right through to simulations on computers - so why should they be interested in seeing things 'for real' when in some ways, that doesn't compare to what they've seen through other means? There are going to be some people who infinitely prefer the computer versions, or the up-close versions on docos, and I guess I have to accept that that's ok; I'd much rather see Mt Everest on the screen than in real life, at least up close. But I do hope that seeing 'mediated' versions will inspire at least a few kids to want to see things personally, because realising that you can see the rings of Saturn and the Galilean moons of Jupiter with your own eyes is a most amazing experience. And not just for the astronomy of it.
Their dad was way keen, though - had never seen Saturn in a telescope, and said he hadn't realised you could. So that was gratifying.
ok... here I am for the first time... and this post! Wha?! Please,I want to see how my two boys go! (Sometimes when we see an amazing moon we think about gatecrashing you you know)Give us a hoy when you think there's something you want to show them and we will get on over for a looksie.(and lets see what happens... maybe they will feign interest or not even too!) Hope not.
ReplyDeleteHey Beck! I've been meaning to have you guys over for aaaages - seriously, gatecrash whenever you like, if you can see the moon properly chances are we're likely to want to have a look too! Saturn is on its way down at the moment, but if we get clear skies in the next little while it will be worth coming and checking it out; and later in the year Jupiter will absolutely be worth looking at. I think your boys are both that little bit older and, ahem, better behaved than these two were. :D
ReplyDelete