Is it really worth it?

Hello,

I have been following Astronomy off and on for about ten years and
have been using binoculars mostly during that time.

However I have been for sometime now been considering buying a
telescope in order to follow my interests. However telescopes do not
come cheap, and with the seeming increases in cloudy winter nights, no
doubt due to climate change, and the increasing light pollution, I
really wonder whether it's worth my while.

Considering that a telescope might with some luck get used on the one
clear night we get a month,(if we are really lucky), is it really all
worth the expense?

I would be interested to hear your views on this topic before I
consider a purchase.

Thanks,

Cedric L Blemmings

"Cedric Blemmings" wrote in message
om...
Hello,
I have been following Astronomy off and on for about ten years and
have been using binoculars mostly during that time.
However I have been for sometime now been considering buying a
telescope in order to follow my interests. However telescopes do not
come cheap, and with the seeming increases in cloudy winter nights, no
doubt due to climate change, and the increasing light pollution, I
really wonder whether it's worth my while.
snip

Have you considered joining a local group and using their telescope? I'm in a
similar sort of position, but like you am bothered about the "poor return on
capital" aspects of half-decent telescope ownership.
What little observing I have done has been of Jupiter's moons & Saturn via a 25x
theodolite telescope mounted on a really sturdy surveying tripod, and benefiting
from the precision slow motion which comes as part of the theodolite.
Photographically, I've had good results of the moon using my EOS10D behind a 300
f4 & 1.4x TC.
Am hoping to mount my 10D behind the local club's telescope in the near future.
--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/ms1938/

"Cedric Blemmings" wrote in message
om...
Hello,

I have been following Astronomy off and on for about ten years and
have been using binoculars mostly during that time.

However I have been for sometime now been considering buying a
telescope in order to follow my interests. However telescopes do not
come cheap, and with the seeming increases in cloudy winter nights, no
doubt due to climate change, and the increasing light pollution, I
really wonder whether it's worth my while.

Considering that a telescope might with some luck get used on the one
clear night we get a month,(if we are really lucky), is it really all
worth the expense?

I would be interested to hear your views on this topic before I
consider a purchase.

Thanks,

Cedric L Blemmings


My dear Cedric. Yes.

David. Newly opticalised.

Hi Cedric,

I also have been watching the stars for many years with binoculars. This
Christmas my wife bought me my first telescope. Admittedly it is a cheap
one but this morning I got my first view of Jupiter and saw some of the
color bands on the planet. What spectacular sight for me. To me it is
worth it. Europa, Io and Ganymede (I believe) were more evident than
thru Binocs.

Tonight was my first clear night since Christmas and it was well worth
the wait. I already see myself wishing for a better and more powerful
telescope. But for now the one I have can teach me much about telescopes
and the heavens. The previous advice about joining a local group was a
good one. We have one here and I will join them this week.

Regards, Jim

(Cedric Blemmings) wrote:

Considering that a telescope might with some luck get used on the one
clear night we get a month,(if we are really lucky), is it really all
worth the expense?

Cedric L Blemmings

Hubble and co tell us there are things out there that we can't begin
to imagine, no matter how much we look at the sky, with or without
binoculars.

A telescope, even a modest one, reveals stuff on Jupiter and Saturn,
that are also unimaginable. A telescope, for me, acts as a sort of
validation for what the professionals produce: it lets ME know that
what THEY see is real - and that is an experience worth a modest
outlay, even an immodest outlay, or even an absurdly silly outlay (if
only I could persuade the powers to let me be absurdly silly...)

--
Martin Frey
http://www.hadastro.org.uk
N 51 02 E 0 47

I upgraded a year ago from Bins to Scope. It cost £300 (Helios explorer
150) and another £150 for add-ons since (motors, extra eyepiece). It has
been the best xmas present since I got Meccano 30 years ago. I've spent
loads of time out with it. Nights on my own or with friends, weekends away
with the astro club, sunspot observing duriung the day ... Mike Stewart is
right though, join a club and see for yourself.

On 10 Jan 2004 14:01:57 -0800, (Cedric
Blemmings) wrote:

I have been following Astronomy off and on for about ten years and
have been using binoculars mostly during that time.
However I have been for sometime now been considering buying a
telescope in order to follow my interests.
Considering that a telescope might with some luck get used on the one
clear night we get a month,(if we are really lucky), is it really all
worth the expense?

Hi Cedric,
yes, it is worth it, in my opinion. You can see a lot more with even a
modest telescope than with the usual 10x50 binoculars. Some
astronomical events are so much better when using a telescope; two
that spring to mind are the transit of Mercury last year (viewed by
projection) and the occultation of Jupiter by the Moon a couple of
years ago. All I used for both was my ancient 60mm refractor and they
are still amongst my best astronomical observing experiences.

It is annoying when the weather closes in for weeks on end and you
don't get any observing in for what seems like ages. It's been like
this for me recently and it's very frustrating. You have to accept
that this is case in the UK, which is why I often travel to other
countries for particular events that I wish to observe.

I think the one thing that puts some off is having to go outside in
very cold weather, but this can be managed with appropriate clothing,
as has been discussed here many times. Often, visitors to my house
express an interest in 'having a look' and I duly put the 'scope out
to cool, but when the time comes to don their coat and hat (I have to
wear a hat?) and venture outside into the cold, dark back yard, they
often prefer to stay in the warm and forgo the pleasure.

clear skies
(please)

- Mike

Hi Cedric,

I recently bought a Skywatcher 150mm Dobsonian (at £229 its less than the
cost of a decent camera) and it has been great fun. It is worth moving up
from binoculars to be able to see wonderful things such as the rings of
Saturn etc.
Go for it, you won't regret it.

Simon