I am a big supporter of amateur astronomy for a lot of reasons. First,it gets people external and looking up, which is just a good thing to finish. It also fosters an appreciation for the sky and the beauty in it. I consider myself an amateur astronomer, or too,taking my own 'scope out when I can. And, sometimes, or amateur astronomy helps advance science in ways that are not so easily done by professional astronomers.
Source: blastr.com