About the Amateur Astronomer
Erik Swindlehurst
Do you remember your first telescope? I got my first telescope for Christmas in 1977 when I was 8 years old. To me, it was the latest in advancements of Astronomy to enable citizen scientists to view and add to the body of knowledge of the cosmos. In reality, it was a white cardboard tube with some basic glass lens on a rickety tripod purchased from a local department store.
Was it frustrating to use? Yep.
Did I get to see the moon for a brief fleeting moment? Sure.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.
My appetite for the night sky was born. What was out there? How far are those stars? Why are they different colors? I wanted to know more about the planets that shared our solar system.
On a stary night, I would setup my precision instrument at the driveway. After swatting away a number of mosquitos while I got my telescope focused on the moon, I would run into the house and share my excitement with my Mom and Dad. "Come take a look at the MOON! You can really see the craters!" I would exclaim.
A few minutes later my parents would make their way outside. By then, the moon meandered off from the viewing of my telescope. I would have to readjust my telescope using two adjustment handles on flexible cables. A little more up. A little more to the right. Nope - too far. A couple more turns on this knob. In what seemed like an eternity, I finally got the moon back in the telescope lens.
My Mom and Dad would look into my telescope as I proudly looked on. We reveled together in the moment of discovery and wonder.
Fast forward to about 2008. I decided to dive into viewing more of the night sky in my new home just south of Atlanta. My first serious telescope was a William Optics 66mm APO Refractor on a basic camera tripod.
With a few Plössl lens and filters, I got to see Mercury, Mars, and our local satellite the Moon. I felt that same 8-year-old excitement when viewing the skies for the first time with my new telescope. I'll need some more equipment to help with this hobby. I was just getting started. -Erik
PS: Thanks Mom and Dad in heaven for giving me my first telescope - sparking my curiosity of the cosmos.
