Ok, I feel very foolish posting this here, but I am among friends right?

I have absolutely no interest in astronomy whatsoever. Its just me....it just doesn't peak my interest.

However, my 10 year old says she wants to be an astronomer, (not an astronaut cause thats dangerous!). She is fascinated by the stars and planets. She even had a star "named" after her for her birthday.

First question, how can I go about encouraging this line of work? What should I do to keep her interested....are there clubs, websites etc....

Second question, what should I be involved with so that we have a common ground on this? I mean, whenever she talks about this stuff, I don't have a clue what she is talking about, so it starts to go right over my head.

Does that all make sense?

One good place is NASA. They have pages about astronomy that are targetted by age. A subscription to an astronomy magazine would be a good idea. They will probably have copies of a few at your local library and/or bookstore that you can check out to decide which are right for her age. A telescope may or may not be a good idea, but a decent pair of binoculars will do for basic stargazing. A star map (available at bookstores and museums) would be a good purchase. Museums often have planetariums with 3-D shows about astronomy. There is probably an amateur astronomy club of some sort nearby (I'd suggest asking at a museum). If you have a museum or college nearby, check to see if they have a large telescope. If they do, they most likely have open houses, where people get to talk with astronomers and look through the large telescopes.


The rest of what I'll say isn't really relevant yet, but if she's still interested in a few years, it will be. Astronomy obviously exists within the larger context of science in general. A subscription to a popular science magazine such as Scientific American could be a good idea. Astronomy is really a subdivision of physics, so (if she's still interested when the appropriate time comes) make sure she realizes this and takes physics in high school.

As far as having a common ground, the magazines should help.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate the help...I don't want to do the same thing my dad did to me...(don't go into that...its not practical) I want to encourage any interests she has, even if they aren't mine.

Thank you