What to do after first year of amateur astronomy? I have practiced astronomy as a hobby for a while now. I have an entry-level telescope (6-inch Newtonian). In addition to observing the night sky, I have been studying physics related to optics, astronomical distance &amp; temperature measurement, gravity, etc.

My plan is to next get a CCD camera, and do some astrophotography. It should keep me busy the next winter. However, I feel I should try to find some kind of project where I could gradually make progress. Otherwise, after learning all the basics, and seeing everything that can be seen with the smallish telescope I have, I might gradually start to lose interest.

What would you recommend as the "next stage"?
Astrophotography is always a good step to take after just observation. That way, you can see things through your telescope that you cannot see with the naked eye,  and also share your findings.

Another thing you could do is start on a different part of astronomy, maybe getting a hydrogen alpha filter or a solar telescope to observe the Sun, which again could be combined with the astrophotography.