That $2,000 telescope I bought after seeing Jupiter through a friend's Dobsonian

I was out at Cherry Springs State Park in September, just tagging along with a buddy who brought his old 10-inch Dob. He let me take a look at Jupiter and I swear I saw the bands and three moons clear as day. That single 30-second view made me drop two grand on my own setup the next week. Now I'm hooked on planetary imaging and I can't even look at a cheap spotting scope the same way. Has anyone else had a single view through a good telescope ruin all the budget gear for them?

2 comments

2 Comments

lindal136d ago

Did you name your new telescope after your firstborn or your dog?

noaht156d ago

I named mine after my credit card bill, because that's about all I can afford to look at now. The telescope itself I just call "the one that makes me forget I have a mortgage." But seriously, I had the same experience you did. Saw Saturn through a friend's 12-inch Dob at a star party in 2019 and it was game over. I sold my little 4-inch refractor the next week and bought a 10-inch Dob of my own. Now I'm standing in my driveway at 2 AM like a fool, freezing my fingers off, but I can't go back. That first view really does ruin everything else.