The word amateur has at least two connotations. In the first, more widely used manner, it means someone performing some task without pay, in contrast to a "professional" who would be paid for the same task. In this sense, labeling someone an "amateur" can have a negative connotation. For example, amateur athletes in sports such as basketball or football would not be regarded as having ability on par with professional athletes in those sports.
Where this can be interesting is in the case of the Olympic Games. Most Olympic events required that the athletes be amateurs, or non-professionals. To receive pay to perform the sport could have disqualified an athlete from an event, as in the case of Jim Thorpe. Such regulations are now nonexistent for all Olympic sports with the exception of boxing.
Also in the areas of computer programming and open source, as well as astronomy and ornithology, many amateurs make very meaningful contributions equivalent to or exceeding those of the professionals. To many, description as an amateur is losing its negative meaning, and actually carries a badge of honor.
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671 Million Miles Per Hour - Links, games, news, and missions.
Alpha Centauri's Universe - Collection of images, text, video, publications, and software.
Meta Description: [ Take A Multimedia Tour Of Our Universe From Sol To The Most Distant Of Galaxies ]
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Amateur Astronomers Anonymous - Contains observation reports, photos, and allows submissions of reports, photos, websites, and tips.
Meta Description: [ Written by an Amateur Astronomer, for Amateur Astronomers. This site has info for the begginer, pictures, Observation reports and object descriptions by me and others, and the ability to post your own pictures and observation reports. Also has great astro links too. ]
Amateur Astronomy and Space Website - Images, CCD information, buy and sell, and links.
Meta Description: [ Fireworks Splice HTML ]
Ask an Astronomer - Questions answered by graduate students, including a question and answer archive, information on the solar system, the universe, SETI, observational astronomy, careers and history.
Meta Description: [ Curious About Astronomy? Astronomers at Cornell University will answer your questions. Contains an extensive archive of previous questions, astronomy-related links and more. ]
Astro Nut - Observation reports, photos, equipment reviews, and astronomy tips.
Astroimager - Gallery, remote astronomy, go-to conversions, and links.
Meta Description: [ Resources for astronomical imaging and computerized telescopes ]
Astronomy Awards - Supporting the hobby related web sites throughout world.
Meta Description: [ Astronomy awards ]
Astronomy Boy - Getting started, CG-5 mount, SAA 100 list, constellation portraits, barn door tracker, comet Hale Bopp, homemade eyepieces, EQ mount tutorial, millennium rant, and biography, home.
Meta Description: [ Resources and Tutorials for Amateur Astronomers. CG-5 mount improvements. Barn door tracker. SAA 100 Deep Sky List. Constellation portraits. Animated equatorial mount tutorial. Homemade eyepieces. Comet Hale-Bopp. Millennium Rant. ]
Astroscopic Labs - Includes galleries, equipment reviews, articles, observation planning, and links.
Backyard Astronomer - Contains sections for equipment, the beginner, books, the solar system and deep sky, web log, and links.
Bad Astronomy - Most people are very curious about the night sky, but unfortunately a lot of misinformation is spread, just plain silly, but many times it makes just enough sense that people believe it.
Meta Description: [ Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy ]
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Cherry Springs State Park - Stargazer's Paradise - Information, schedule, rules, resources, Black Forest Star Party, photographs, articles, and links.
Clear Skies On Demand - An online blog, a digital journal, with postings of observing reports, equipment reviews, and digital images.
Cosmic Voyage - Getting started, deep sky and planetary observing, astrophotography, sketching, glossary, and links.
Dan's Night Sky - Fun, games, special events, astronomy events, classified ads, FAQ, About us and links.
Meta Description: [ Amateur Astronomy Website, Informative, Fun, Advice, loads more ]
Digital Astronomy Gallery - Images, star enhancement processing, equipment information, and what's new.
Eagles Eye on the Sky - Monthly guide to what's up in the sky.
Elsbury Observatory - Astrovideo, CCD and film imaging of various objects.
Galaxies - Customized a specific location, events in the sky, photography, information, programs, and links.
Meta Description: [ Astrology charts, Discount telescope, Solar telescopes, Nasa telescopes, Astronomy telescope, ]
How To Learn Astronomy - Information on how to get started as a hobby.
HyperCell One Astro Index - Glossary, laws, people, black holes, forum, and links.
Meta Description: [ HyperCellOne.Com Loans Direction offers information for home mortgage and refinance, home equity loans and lines of credit, auto and motorcycle loans with low rates online. Learn about financial aid, search for the lowest student and home loan rates, compare lenders. ]
It's Full of Stars - Equipment information, gallery, articles, and links, with information for the East Sussex Astronomical Society.
Meta Description: [ Did you know telescopes are full of stars? All of creation's out there. All you have to do is look up.... ]
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Jason's Backyard Astro - Image galleries, information, and links.
Meta Description: [ Digital astrophotography with a Lxd55 telescope, Losmany G-11 mount, Televue TV-101, and Canon 10D. LXD55 information and help. ]
My Astronomy Pages - Sketch page, scope building, and links.
Night Sky Observer - Skynotes, weather, articles, equipment, software, images, shop, ezine, and links.
Meta Description: [ News and other resources about Astronomy ]
Online - Astroboy - Contains an article, news, biography, views, and links.
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Paul's Astro Pages - Images and information on solar system, deep sky and equipment, gallery, diary, and links.
Meta Description: [ Amateur astronomy in Torpoint, Cornwall. South West England. ]
Paul's Astro-Links - Links for the amateur, clubs, equipment, observatories, planetariums, organizations, publications, and news.
Planetarium Net - Email list and resource articles.
Meta Description: [ Articles, News, Educational Resources, and more for Astronomy Educators and Learners. ]
Rick Costello Space Art Paintings - Gallery, about the artist, and essays.
Rogue Astronomers - FAQ, observation logs, objects, glossary, and links.
Meta Description: [ Gary & Jake - Two guys who take their telescopes out on the streets of Mill Valley, CA. ]
Space - Offers space, astronomy and technology content, including information, education, entertainment and business news.
Meta Description: [ Space.com provides information on everything Space - satellites, stars, astronomy, the Sun, planets, NASA and more. ]
Space Buffs - News, forums, articles, and galleries for astronomy and space travel enthusiasts.
Meta Description: [ Astronomy and space travel news and community. ]
Stargazing Network - What's new, mini-FAQ, and table of contents.
Meta Description: [ Stargazing Network provide free Web page hosting for the Amateur Astronomy Community. Stargazing Network is sponsored by Cetus Technology at www.cetus.net. ]
StarJunkie - Equipment, astrophotography, terms, forum, photo archives, chat, and links.
Meta Description: [ Welcome to Starjunkie.com, the online amateur astronomy site. Please feel free to look around and if you feel like it, drop us a line... ]
Summer Stargazing - Night Sky in the Northern Hemisphere - An article written by Philip Harrington.
Sundial, calendar and Khmer temples - Experimental astronomy applied on research of solar orientation of the temples in SE-Asia.
Meta Description: [ Sundial experiments in Isan (Thailand) and research on orientations ancient Khmer temples and eventual significanse in relation to archaeoastronomy ]
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TelescopeWizard - Keep your Eye on the Night Sky - Blogs, gallery, forum, live chat, calendar, news, and library.
Meta Description: [ astronomywizard.org is a community web site for blogging, personal galleries and part of your tool ]
The Astro Pages - Astrophotos, articles, discussion boards, telescope making, observer's logs, and calendar.
Meta Description: [ astronomy and space news, links, articles, photos, tutorials, telescope making, polls, screensavers, and discussion groups for the amateur - professionals welcome too! ]
The Astronomy Cafe - The menu is appetizers, specials, and main course.
Meta Description: [ A web site written by a professional astronomer which explains modern astronomy, what a career in astronomy is like, and answers over 4000+ popular questions from an on-line FAQ archive called Ask the Astronomer ]
The Beer Chair - Observing chair, Astronomy dictionary and unique astronomy items.
Meta Description: [ beer,observing chair, astronomy dictionary, the beer chair, astronomy observing chair ]
The Edge of Nowhere - Images, events, news, information, games, awards, and links.
Meta Description: [ Astronomy information for the astronomy enthusiast, with interactive pictures and descriptions for easy identification, information about astronomy in general, live webcasts of certain astronomical events, and an online store selling pictures featured on this site. ]
The Night Site - The sky this month, gallery, questions, for beginners, glossary, and links.
Meta Description: [ The Night Site, aimed at amateur astronomers, star gazers and the general public! Featuring monthly updated star charts, beginners' section, image/photo gallery and more! ]
The Salopian Web - Astronomy pages, amateur radio, space, and satellites.
Meta Description: [ Astronomy, Amateur (Ham) Radio, Space, Satellites, and Computing ]
The Silicon Sky - Project links, weather, comet observing, interest links, minor planets, and resources.
Meta Description: [ A site dedicated to amateur astronomy, with empahsis on meteorology, comets and minor planets. ]
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What's Up - the Observatory in Eilat - This month by month with images and information on the moon, Jupiter, and Saturn.
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