That doesn’t mean I’ve given up on anything bigger than my 114mm tabletop, but this yearning for more has to be tempered by real-world circumstances like budgets, physical limitations, and storage space. I expended so much time and effort chasing equipment that the hobby I embraced as a source of joy was becoming a chore. I did at least have the privilege of first light on familiar targets like the Orion Nebula and the Pleiades, but I was too depleted to hunt for anything else.Īperture fever is real, and it’s easy to get so wrapped up in pursuing the next bigger and better instrument that I lose sight of what I’d like to do with it. Maybe I needed to convince myself, again, that I can’t handle larger instruments. It’s a great and capable light bucket, but it’s too big for me. Am I a glutton for equipment-related punishment? My partner helped me pick up the club’s brand-new Sky-Watcher Flextube 250p, and I needed his help again to carry the pieces outside for observation. When the club’s telescope library reopened, naturally I borrowed an even bigger telescope. After putting so much of myself into its assembly, I was sad when I sold it at a significant loss to an eager young man on his way to dark skies in Nevada, but he emailed me the next day with a glowing report of his first night with it. I reached again for my tabletop dob, and I listed the NexStar for sale. I gave the monster so many “one more try” chances before I concluded that it wasn’t the right scope for me. I verged on angry, disappointed tears every time. By the time I completed the two-star alignment, I was running on fumes and ready to call it a night. I tried setting it up hours ahead of time so I could rest. I tried carrying the scope outside as an assembled unit. But every time it looked like the clear skies would hold, I wore myself out schlepping and setting up the monster and ended up in physical pain before it was dark enough to see anything. I daydreamed of the celestial wonders I’d find with my SCT, and I did see some beautiful sights like the Christmas Tree Cluster and the Rosette Nebula. Wrangling is in the eye - err, the hands of the stargazer, I guess. Then on a Zoom call with the club’s telescope workshop, another member pulled out a NexStar 8 and called it his “little scope.” I started to think of it as “the monster.” It’s my biggest scope by far, and it was a lot for me to wrangle. I learned a lot about mounts, tripods, finders, and more while pulling that kit together. About nine months and $1,000 later, I had a functional NexStar 8. The optics were good, but the tube needed to be deforked if I wanted to upgrade the Go To mount. The optical tube assembly was about 20 years old. I’d hoped for a 6-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope (SCT), but the librarian offered me an 8-inch instead. In November 2020, the local astronomy club held a telescope library sale to make room for newer inventory. It’s easy for me to manage, and I’ve enjoyed many inspiring views across all four seasons. My favorite scope is a grab-and-go 114mm tabletop Dobsonian - something others might consider tiny and primarily for beginners. The best instrument, of course, is the one you use. Who doesn’t want to see everything? Once you’ve caught the stargazing bug, it can be a challenge to strike a balance between enjoying the night sky and coveting bigger lenses and mirrors. My answer is quick: “Hubble.”Īnd then everyone has a good laugh. “What do you want for your next telescope?” I’m often asked. The Hubble Space Telescope captured this sharp view of Saturn.
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