Re: Christmas telescopes

Well, it doesn't have to be that way. I was one of those kids back in the
60's. Got a Sears (I think) telescope for Christmas - man was I excited: the
box said "200 power"! Maybe my expectations were lower due to no Hubble and
no online galleries of photos etc, but I had a blast with that lame scope. I
sometimes had many people from the neighborhood lining up to see the moons
of Jupiter etc etc. Actually it was that telescope that sparked my interest
in the beginning that has lasted through to now. Maybe all is not lost.

---Nathan

"T.T." <tonyt92@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:Fd0of.175$V7.18@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Saw some doting grandparents buying a primitive Tasco scope for the
> grandchild today. They were really excited, and spent a lot of time
> looking at the box. And an impressive box it was too. Courtesy of Hubble,
> I imagine.
> And I thought about the thousands? of kids who would get one of these
> under the tree, would take a quick look at the moon and see something
> nowhere near as exciting as a hundred views they had seen on TV or as
> glossy photographs somewhere. Then a look at the stars. Pinpoints of light
> exactly as they see without the scope, but more of them and not so bright.
> Where are the nebulae? Where is the colour?
> And the beginning of an antipathy towards anything to do with astronomy
> that will last for years.


.

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