The Right Scope For The Right Observer

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Apr 11

2011

by Keith Burr

When I was a young boy my Great Aunt Peg bought me a telescope for Christmas one year.  It was the only thing that I wanted for a couple of years.  My Aunt finally went out and picked one up for me.  It was a  60 mm Tasco refractor in a very shaky AltAz mount.  

With this scope that sparked my astronomy interests I looked at the moon pretty much every time I took it out.  That was about all I was able to see with it. I was getting very discouraged with the views I was getting with the .965" 12mm and 4 mm eyepieces. 

I pretty much put my amateur astronomy career on hold  throughout my teen years.  Then last year at the ripe old age of 31 I decided I was going to get back into the hobby.  I ordered a 127mm reflector from ebay that came on a German EQ mount.  I thought, now this has got to be what I need to see some stuff. 

I was thrilled to see the rings of Saturn, and the moons of Jupiter, but I was quickly getting discouraged yet again.  The more I used my new telescope the more shaky the views were becoming.  The mount was becoming lose and the was no way of tightening it up, so every time I tried to focus the entire mount and scope would shake uncontrollably. After only a month I was ready to give up completely.  

I decided to sell my new telescope much to the disapproval of my wife who thought that I can't stick with any hobby I start.  About a month after selling the 127 EQ and a lot of online research I decided to buy an 8 inch Dobsonian mounted reflector.  My wife rolling her eyes all the way. 

I can honesty says after about 4 months of using this scope under every clear night I can not be happier.  It was only about 50 bucks more expensive that the 127mm, but the views it provides me on a nightly basis are absolutely priceless. I have been able to see galaxies millions of light-years away, gaseous nebulae, and beautiful star clusters. 

Granted, I'm not going to be able to take astrophotos, or find an object with the click of a button, but I have discovered a totally new thrill.  The thrill of the hunt.  To be able to pick out dim fuzzies and other DSO's has made me not only love the hobby, but almost become obsessed about it. 

Just last night I showed my wife a few Messier objects and Saturn and she didn't roll her eyes anymore.  I just had to show her that there is the right scope out there for the right observer.