MarkMittlesteadt

Excellent post! My eight year old daughter looked at M31 through my 105mm Mak under heavily light polluted skies the other night. She could see it but was entirely unimpressed and actually said it was "nothing". We had to go inside later and look through a book and show her the photo and explain to her how far away it is and that she got to see the "real thing". 

Yes, too often people have way too high of expectations for what they'll see looking through a telescope. Hubble images have spoiled a great many. LOL.

At parties with people who have never seen anything through a scope, I always show them where something is and ask them if they can see it at all naked eye, give them an idea how far away it is and what they should be impressed with is seeing it with their own eyes and to feel lucky to be able to even see it at all.