Star Points for November 2009 by Curtis Roelle Good Advice for Telescope Buyers Are you interested in buying a telescope for yourself or a loved one? Perhaps you would like to give a telescope as a gift for the holidays. What should you buy? Whom can you trust? Should you walk into a department store or discount center and depend on the first clerk you manage to pin down for reliable advice on what to choose? Should you go on E-Bay and trust that a far-away stranger has just what you need, sight unseen? I wouldn't if I were you. Fortunately, every November the Westminster Astronomical Society, Inc. (WASI) hosts its annual Telescope Buyers Workshop (TBW), focused (if you will) on turning telescope shoppers into educated consumers. Its members and guest speakers have broad experience with telescopes of almost every conceivable kind. WASI offers this service free of charge to the community because its members understand the heartbreak that comes from a poorly-thought-out telescope purchase. The worst kind of telescope is one that will sit unused in the closet, basement, attic, shed, or garage. Many considerations go into selecting a telescope. How often do you, or the intended observer, plan to use it? How much room do you have for storage? Will you be using it in or near a city, or do you plan to take it to a dark-sky site away from city lights? What do you want to see with it? The moon and planets can be viewed quite well from just about anywhere on Earth on a clear night. From a city, however, only the very brightest star clusters, nebulas, and galaxies will be visible, and they will appear as mere, faint glimmers of their majestic selves as seen under splendid country skies. It could be better to buy a smaller, portable telescope that you can easily fit into your car and take to a good viewing site than to purchase a "monster telescope" that will barely resolve targets beyond the glare from local neighborhood street lights. You should also consider the age of the intended user. Children need a telescope that is easy to use, rugged, and not too tall, so that they can reach the eyepiece. The telescope mount is another consideration. Remember to look for a solid mount that doesn't jiggle in the breeze. Do you eventually want to hook up a camera and take pictures, or maybe even hook up a charge- coupled device (CCD) imager? If so, chances are that your first (or current) telescope may not be suited for this kind of advanced experimentation. Perhaps you already own a telescope and are looking to move up. What should you buy next? A number of stores in the area sell telescopes, but very few stores specialize in telescope sales. Hands On Optics is a worldwide mail order company with a showroom conveniently located in Damascus. Owner Gary Hand has been involved in amateur astronomy since he was a young lad. He and his staff have decades of experience educating first-time buyers about the choices available, and helping them decide which telescope is best. WASI has invited Gary to talk at the TBW about what you need to know to buy a telescope. He will offer advice on what to look for and, just as importantly, what to avoid in the telescope market. He will also highlight which new gadgets are catching on, and describe the changing trends in the industry. I hope you can join Gary and WASI for the TBW. The Telescope Buyers Workshop begins at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, November 11 at the Bear Branch Nature Center (BBNC), located at 300 John Owings Road, north of Westminster. For directions call BBNC at 410-848-2517.