Your First Telescope

By now a lot of people who received that first telescope as presents are scratching their heads on how to setup and use a telescope.

Let’s face it, many beginner telescopes come with less than helpful instructions. Furthermore, more than one beginner makes the mistake of using their new telescope before reading the instructions. The good news is that there are plenty of articles that can help in this category, including telescope observing tips to avoid common beginner mistakes. (Be sure to check these links if you are new to telescopes.)

There is, however, another issue for a beginner to tackle that is not mentioned in any telescope manual or instructions. That is the matter of expectations.

Too many beginners simply have no idea what to expect when they first look through a telescope or their expectations are downright unreasonable. No, the images seen in a telescope eyepiece will not and cannot match the glory of images seen online or in magazines or even on the box used to package the telescope. Those images are typically taken with observatory class instruments that are as much giant cameras as they are telescopes.

The only way to get Hubble class pictures is with the Hubble. It’s not going to happen in typical backyard telescopes.

On the other hand, amateur astronomy is not about trying to duplicate the views available in professional telescopes, anyway. It is about seeing the wonders of the universe, firsthand, with your own eyes, rather than seeing it all second or third hand.

Amateur astronomy is about learning your way around the night sky on your own. It is something akin to the difference between driving a vehicle, yourself, versus having someone doing the driving for you. That first view of Saturn or Mars in a small beginner’s telescope may not look like much, but it yours.

You did it, yourself. In this day and age of letting someone else do most everything for us, that is gold.

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