re: getting started in astronomy

Blog visitors interested in All Things Astronomical sweep across a spectrum from beginners to advanced amateurs. My focus today is providing information for folks who are interested in getting started -- but are uncertain as step one.

Here's a fact that anyone considering "getting into astronomy" should know. Most telescopes wind up in a dark closet or corner of the garage, seldom if ever used. Why? Generally because people have "leaped" before "looking." For example, too many folks believe that they'll see images through their telescope that look like Hubble Space Telescope photographs. Uh...not! Or they believe that a super duper K-Mart special 500x magnification scope is just what they need, rather than a little bitty 100 power magnification. Uh...not! Or they go out at night and are immediately lost in the night sky. (See the previous post for a solution to that issue.)

When it comes to astronomy caveat emptor (buyer beware) rules! So an informational "jump start" that's not the purchase plunge is the place to begin.

Two websites come immediately mind, both constructed by friends of mine. While the two sites are different, they offer sound advice.

Let me begin with Bill Ferris's "Cosmic Voyage" pages. http://members.aol.com/billferris/beginners.html
Bill is a highly accomplished life-time observer who's actually worked in astronomy in a professional capacity. Be sure to check out his "Telescope Buyers' Guide" as a first step.
(Note: Bill's pages are on AOL Hometown, and are thus slow to load. Be patient.)

The second featured site is Eric Jacob's "Cheapskate Astrophotography." http://www.cheapskate-astro.net/index.html
Eric's webpages will introduce you to the next step in astronomy beyond eyepiece views: making your own astrophotos using equipment that will not break the bank.

So, enjoy your visits to Bill and Eric's pages. And make sure to surf the links that they provide. By the time you finish you'll be in a place to make a reasonably informed decision about your own prospective purchases.
Cheers.