Astronomy Optics and Sytems All About Telescopes

I can’t help remember my first telescope, and how I came to own it.  My father brought home a Selsi Optics catalog one day and I started looking through it. One of his suppliers told him he could buy things for the same price department stores pay. It did not take long before I saw this gorgeous 454X white telescope with an equatorial mount and wooden tripod. It became my 10th birthday gift in 1962.

I quickly discovered the images and descriptions were misleading.  The only things I ever ended up seeing was the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, the Pleaides and The Great Oriopn Nebula. The only eyepiece that worked well was the lowest power eyepiece, and the claim of 454 X magnification was  a joke.

The mount was not stable, and the movement was not very smooth. All and all the most impressive thing about in was the Ramenwood case lined with all these special green felt covered cubby recesses for holding all of the individual components when you wanted to transport the scope to another site.

Astro  Video LINKS

Don’t buy a telescope right away.

Manufacturers and Retailers advertise to entice consumers to make impulsive decisions based on representations in descriptive literature.  Until you have taken the time to learn about basic astronomy and experience telescopes first hand, don’t just roll the dice.

Visit with us and see the night sky through a variety of telescopes. It won’t be long and you will have narrowed your choices and thought about a realistic budget.  If you pay close attention, you may even figure out how to save by purchasing good used equipment as I have.

If you want to learn and enjoy astronomy you’ll likely end up with some optical aids such as specialized binoculars, telescopes, mounting systems, eyepieces. etc.

But for right now, the best tools for astronomy are:

1) Cheap folding lounge chair (for swimming pools and decks.)

2) Survival kit with coffee cup and blanket  for winter, and mosquito repellent and bottled water for summer.

3) Inexpensive binoculars

4) A good basic Planisphere (rotating star chart)

5) Basic Star Chart software from the Internet.

6) Transportation to Star Corral Observing events.

If you are a beginner or have some experience, participating with us at the Oil Capital will help you find better understand the nature of this fascinating hobby.  Some of you will dive in and make it your number one pastime; others may visit once and seldom if ever again. 

Your presence and involvement is not an imposition, it is a joy. Sharing our experience and equipment  is rewarding. 

If you see something you like or want to consider making amateur astronomy your hobby, you should visit the Astronomy Club of Tulsa.  You’ll feel welcome and be surrounded by people from whom you can learn volumes about astronomy  and appropriate equipment.