Someone asked me is it a good idea to get a telescope...

[Paz]

I was chatting to another parent at a Sunday league football match and we were talking about how to cope with the cold. I had my huge Sorel boots on that I bought for astronomy but also use at freezing football matches. When I explained this the other parent said they had thought about getting a telescope from time to time and asked me was it worth it.

It was a casual throwaway type of conversation where you're not thinking too deeply about anything, and the words "no, I wouldn't recommend it in this country" came out before my brain engaged.

I immediately felt bad but the conversation moved on to something else. Was it the right thing to say? I don't know but it felt like a Freudian slip alongside being an illistration of my inept social skills.

What do you say to people who ask about getting into the hobby, there's plenty of better answers I'm sure, that share the good sides whilst managing expectations.

[josefk]

i'm not sure you answered rightly or wrongly but i recognise the sentiment 🙂 

- Last night i wasn't out till late and found after setting up i must have knocked my finder out of alignment (on a long focal length Cassegrain so couldn't find a thing), then it clouded over but not definitively to start with so i hung around and hung around hoping it would clear, and then when i was finally packing up (early) i ripped a glove on my tripod somehow, BUT

- Last week i was looking at the Orion Nebula area very casually and was out for just a couple of hours overall and returned from the session incredibly recharged and amazed by what a small scope can bring as an experience.

I think on balance that last week is the more typical experience and i's a good job for sticking with the hobby. 

My answer to someone would be start with small simple kit and let it exceed your expectation rather than jump into big complicated set-ups and risk finding it high effort and occasionally frustrating.

[Mr Spock]

Having just had the 12" for the first time in 3-4 months due to the weather, I'm wondering that myself! Is it really worth it?

As hobbies go, for the cash I've spent I could have had a new camera outfit and a dozen fish tanks...

[MikeAa]

I often think (and my wife also tells me!) that I don't need any telescopes. But then I realise that I do. So yes, it's worth it. Hope that helps! 🤣

[Elp]

Tbh I'm not surprised by your comment, you were likely subconsciously thinking too that they're a typical newbie and won't pursue the hobby with a passion after an initial first use. When I started AP (can't see much visually due to LP) I was outputting an image once a month or every two months (and consider you need multiple sessions to be able to do this). Last year it's like 4-6 weeks between singular sessions so you can imagine the impact that's had.

Visual you'd likely have more success due to being able to short session, but would it be as enjoyable as being able to stroll outside casually at most times in a nice weather country and just look up, I don't think so. It's usually a military precision planning exercise waiting for the opportune moment, and if you've got work and family commitments, the probability of having that opportunity during "down time" is near impossible.

[bosun21]

On the question of whether to get a telescope or not it's a resounding yes from me. Whilst I only too well grasp the frustrations of the British weather I still think that everyone who wants to try astronomy for themselves should. The sight of Saturns rings and the belts of Jupiter should be a sight for everyone to behold. Where they go from there is an open question depending on each individuals experience. I can recall my first ever views through my first telescope at 9 years old which was a 114mm reflector and it has stuck with me some 54 years later. Our niche hobby constantly requires new blood IMO.

[Ratlet]

From a purely visual experience, it is absolutely worth it imho.  Pretty sure for every photon that comes down the tube a milicule of stress is launched in the opposite direction.  

For me personally it's like a bubble bath for the soul.  Just washes off all the letch and vileness from the day/week/month.

I've been quite lucky and adopted a scavenger like approach to viewing though and if it's clear and dark I'll grab the dob and set it up.

[John]

If someone asked me, and was reasonably local, I would suggest that they come along to one of the Bristol Astro Societies public observing evenings or, if they were really local, I would offer them a look through one of my telescopes. 

I'm a huge fan of visual observing and believe that everybody should have the experience of seeing the moon, Saturn, Jupiter and a few other sights though a scope, with their own eyes but that does not necessarily mean that everybody needs to own a scope.

 

[petevasey]

A good response to the question is 'Do you have any binoculars?'  Preferably around 50 mm aperture.  If the answer is 'Yes' point them at an Astronomy magazine which has a binocular target section such as Sky at Night magazine.  That will get them looking at the night sky.  And at adverts for the huge choice of telescopes available.   If no binocs, and they are not sure what to do, an alternative to an astronomical telescope might be a spotter scope of around 60 mm or more aperture.  They usually have a zoom facility so no extra eyepieces needed.  But will need a tripod for the best experience.  Then if the astro side doesn't kick off, at least they will have an excellent instrument for birdwatching etc.   Surely can't go far wrong with something like this one from Amazon.

By the way. thanks for the mention of Sorel boots!  I'd never heard of them, but obviously you find them very satisfactory.  They have a sale on at the moment and I needed some new boots for observing - my old ones are split and leaky.  So I went for the nice but not too  bulky Buxton Lite Lace.  Looking forward to getting them in a few days.  With the current freezing weather I wish I had them now 😉

Cheers,  Peter

Edited January 15 by petevasey

[Gonariu]

Before purchasing a telescope, the first thing to do is observe with the naked eye to learn to recognize the constellations, the main stars and the planets, the second step (not obligatory) could be the purchase of binoculars, such as 10X50 (or a 7X50 if one is twenty years old); only then can you think about buying a telescope.

[RT65CB-SWL]

I always ask what are they or kids wanting to look at… and then what is their budget.

[Spile]

It’s a difficult question to answer. Almost certainly your telescope will spend most of its time gathering dust as you wait for the clouds to clear. Take into account that when it is clear seeing might be poor or you might have something else to do and that might lead you to think it’s not worth it. It is for me because I am not in a rush to do everything and am in for the long game.

[Paz]

A lot of good points made, I will be better prepared next time, and less likely to blurt out an unfortunate comment!

[Elp]

6 hours ago, RT65CB-SWL said:

I always ask what are they or kids wanting to look at… and then what is their budget.

The first thing I ask is are they patient people, and do they like the cold... Every "non astro" person fails with either or both of these.

Edited January 15 by Elp

[John_D]

16 hours ago, petevasey said:

A good response to the question is 'Do you have any binoculars?'  Preferably around 50 mm aperture.  If the answer is 'Yes' point them at an Astronomy magazine which has a binocular target section such as Sky at Night magazine.  That will get them looking at the night sky.  And at adverts for the huge choice of telescopes available.   If no binocs, and they are not sure what to do, an alternative to an astronomical telescope might be a spotter scope of around 60 mm or more aperture.  They usually have a zoom facility so no extra eyepieces needed.  But will need a tripod for the best experience.  Then if the astro side doesn't kick off, at least they will have an excellent instrument for birdwatching etc.   Surely can't go far wrong with something like this one from Amazon.

By the way. thanks for the mention of Sorel boots!  I'd never heard of them, but obviously you find them very satisfactory.  They have a sale on at the moment and I needed some new boots for observing - my old ones are split and leaky.  So I went for the nice but not too  bulky Buxton Lite Lace.  Looking forward to getting them in a few days.  With the current freezing weather I wish I had them now 😉

Cheers,  Peter

I bought a pair of Sorel Caribou boots on a half price sale a few years ago, mainly for winter jaunts to cold places for cross country skiing. They're great but, on mine, the rubber part on the upper split on where it flexes while walking. This was after minimal wear and looking online this was a common problem at the time. I'm not sure I'd wear them in deep snow any more but they are very nice on a cold night at the telescope 😁

[Paz]

5 minutes ago, John_D said:

I bought a pair of Sorel Caribou boots on a half price sale a few years ago, mainly for winter jaunts to cold places for cross country skiing. They're great but, on mine, the rubber part on the upper split on where it flexes while walking. This was after minimal wear and looking online this was a common problem at the time. I'm not sure I'd wear them in deep snow any more but they are very nice on a cold night at the telescope 😁

 I got an oversized pair so I can wear more socks and I have an extra insulating sheepskin sole in there. I can't walk easily in them but if I'm standing around in the freezing cold they are perfect.

[SwiMatt]

To add on many good comments on this thread, I don't think you gave a bad answer. Ultimately, you might just have reacted to someone who just "thought about getting a telescope" like you or I think about maybe eating pizza tonight - which is fair. 

 

On 15/01/2024 at 09:03, Paz said:

What do you say to people who ask about getting into the hobby, there's plenty of better answers I'm sure, that share the good sides whilst managing expectations.

I never give bitter answers to the "laymen". I keep bitterness for SGL

But generally, I want to tell them about what moves me, but in an honest way. I don't shy away from the negatives - the long hours, the tiredness the day after, the cold, the frustrating weather, the costs,.... But I makes sure to tell them that for me, any moment I can sit and soak in some photons is worth it, that since I got into the hobby it was never a question whether it was worth it. But then I'm also honest about what one can really see through a telescope (since the question arises naturally): so I tell them that I think of it as a very intellectual hobby, because the views alone, without a context of what one is looking at, are rarely colorful or clear or intrinsically breathtaking. Then they will decide by themselves if they are inspired by it or if they were just hoping to see some Hubble pictures in the eyepiece.

[Mandy D]

11 hours ago, Elp said:

The first thing I ask is are they patient people, and do they like the cold... Every "non astro" person fails with either or both of these.

I answer "No" and "Hell, no!" to those questions, yet here I am enjoying this hobby ...

[Elp]

6 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

I answer "No" and "Hell, no!" to those questions, yet here I am enjoying this hobby ...

But theres the rub, you ARE an astro person so it doesn't apply.

[900SL]

I generally reply with a question: ' Are you a wealthy masochist?'

[Bugdozer]

I think you gave the right answer. Because, like marriage, you have to be sure. If you aren't absolutely sure if you want a telescope, you shouldn't get one, because otherwise you won't have enough enthusiasm to work past the difficulties of practical observing. 

I also disagree with Gonariu's idea that you aren't allowed to get a telescope until you have completed the naked eye and binocular steps. But in keeping with my initial comment, most people who are really keen on getting a telescope WILL have done those things already. 

[Mandy D]

6 hours ago, Elp said:

But theres the rub, you ARE an astro person so it doesn't apply.

Bit paradoxical, in' it?

[John_D]

6 hours ago, 900SL said:

I generally reply with a question: ' Are you a wealthy masochist?'

I believe sailing is described as "standing under a cold shower while tearing up £20 notes". I suppose the astro equivalent is "sitting in a fridge while tearing up £20 notes"

Let's face it most nights around here I'd see more stars in a fridge 😁

[Mandy D]

23 hours ago, 900SL said:

I generally reply with a question: ' Are you a wealthy masochist?'

Definitely, but I am not wealthy... 🤣

[900SL]

4 hours ago, Mandy D said:

Definitely, but I am not wealthy... 🤣

Of course 😆 'Here FLO, take my money!'