re: Question for telescope owners

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I got a “light bucket” telescope.

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Dobsonian reflectors aka light buckets are GREAT but they generally require star-hopping* to align them on what you want to actually view (unless you spend a LOT of money for a computer-controlled one).

A 6 or 8 inch Schmidt-Cassegrain that is computer controlled is so much easier to use once you learn how to initially align it.

One other option to get started is with a good pair of binoculars (with large objective lens) and a tripod and start star hopping through some of Messier's List. This will usually spark interest or let someone know that they probably shouldn't spend a lot of money on something that was a fleeting interest.



star hopping is starting at a easy to find bright star then slowly panning to the desired spot in the sky