Why do I need a telescope anyway?

[Stu1smartcookie]

9 hours ago, Neil H said:

I got a goto scope very soon after coming back to the hobby , yes its cheating letting the goto find targets but it finds more than I can

Neil , living in a bortle 6 and above a goto is becoming a necessity . I never see it as cheating ... it actually can be damn frustrating at times but i wouldn't be without one . Having said that i am planning on having a manual mount too .. sometimes the thrill of finding something by yourself is fantastic .

[Stu]

15 minutes ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

Neil , living in a bortle 6 and above a goto is becoming a necessity . I never see it as cheating ... it actually can be damn frustrating at times but i wouldn't be without one . Having said that i am planning on having a manual mount too .. sometimes the thrill of finding something by yourself is fantastic .

I agree! Whilst I don’t have a Goto currently, I have used them in the past, mainly at home and it makes finding DSOs or doubles etc far easier and less frustrating. I live under Bortle 7 skies currently and  when you struggle to find even relatively bright stars to start a star hop from, it makes for a much more rewarding session.

Conversely, when under dark skies I enjoy using a manual scope, often a frac on an Alt Az mount, and star hopping because it is so much easier to see both the sign posting stars and the targets themselves.

Push to use another great alternative and I have used a Nexus/SkySafari system on a 16” dob which really helped my enjoyment even under dark skies, guiding around Markarian’s chain and numerous other galaxies. Quick, quiet and accurate.

[Chefgage]

The way I look at it is this. Yes everything can be viewed online be it astronomically based, holiday destinations, wild life, sports etc.. But if that was the case no body would go outside (good for covid ). The enjoyment is about seeing it in person. 

[Sabalias]

Hi All,

Apologies, I haven’t had a chance to read everything in this thread yet so I might be repeating someone else’s comment but....

Have you thought about the learning experience? Among other things (the excitement of seeing something with my own eyes , the joy of managing to get a viable photograph) I get a significant amount of enjoyment and reward from learning about astronomy and the equipment I use. 

Stu

[Gasman]

Haven't read all ths replies so apologies if it's been mentioned before but a trip to your local astro society would give many answers to your questions with maybe the chance to look through the clubs scope too without parting with any hard earned dosh first!.

Steve