You should consider joining the Salt Lake Astronomical Society, whose membership isn't restricted to the Salt Lake area. In fact, ar least one member lives in Hawaii. Go to slas.us on the Internet to find out about the club; you can ho yo meetings ir star parties for free or join for only $20 a year for the family. And check Facebook for our site there. Welcome to the hobby! -- Joe ------------------------------ On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 12:58 PM MDT Ryan Simpkins wrote:

Hello Utah Astronomers,

I'm new to the list and wanted to introduce myself. Right now I don't have a lot to contribute, but I'm curious how I can best keep up with all the happenings in the local community. Beyond this list, what groups or forums do you recommend a beginner join? I'd love to find something on Facebook so I can match names with faces, but so far I've not found a Utah Astronomy related FB group. Does one exist?

-Ryan

--- More about me (for the especially curious): --- I've been a Linux Sys Admin for 15 years, 8 years at Adobe Systems. I work in the big building across from Thanksgiving Point. I have a background in lots of different activities including electronics, photography, and more. Astronomy is something I've long been interested in, but I am interested in so many things I'm wary about adding yet another (potentially expensive) hobby.

That said, I have a really good primary reason for wanting to learn more about astronomy. I don't know where she came up with this idea, but my 10 year old daughter is quite sure she wants to be a cosmologist or astrophysicist when she gets older. And not just any cosmologist, she wants to be an exoplanetary specialist. I know a little about physics and other sciences (I enjoy following the happenings at CERN), and she clearly has an aptitude for these subjects. I'm sure some day she'll know a great deal more than me.

Whether my daughter grows up to be a planet hunter or not, I hope she will retain her interest in our universe. I'm looking for ways to continue to inspire and teach her as she gets older. In the process, I hope to learn some things myself. I look forward to meeting some of you soon.

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