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[regichuck]

One of the greatest innovations in astronomy is no doubt the Hubble space telescope, but how many of you are sick and tired of having the views in your scope compared to the ones from Hubble? People's expectations of what planets and DSO's look like through an eyepiece are too high! I find it difficult to impress some of my friends with the views I currently have on my fairly expensive scope. On some very clear nights, I think Jupiter and Saturn look amazing, but they just look at me like I'm a 40 year old astronomy geek and they are unimpressed. Some have even pulled out their smartphones and (or) books to show me what it's really supposed to look like through my telescope!

This hobby will die and telescope manufacturers will go out of business unless more newbies are impressed by what they see through our scopes, but how can one compete with those beautiful images from Hubble?

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Regichuck...

Although the Hubble is a wondrous telescopes, (when it goes, we will be blind. The Kepler scope is not a visible light scope.)....Telescope manufacturers plaster colorful pics of deep sky objects and push the false message of what is to be expected.

In actuality, most of observational astronomy is mostly a shades of grey affair....with some exceptions. For public Chicago Astronomer Star Parties, I rarely ever target DSO's (Deep Space Objects). Nebulae, galaxies and star clusters do not impress the general casual visitor to the scope - ergo I only maintain the brighter objects in the C11.

But, for the true space enthusiast and those excited about observing lesser known objects, I will slew the scope to M13, M45, M31, open star clusters and such...and they appreciate it. I had one Chicago Astronomer fan who couldn't believe that she was actually observing the Andromeda Galaxy...in real time and with her own eyes.

But for the majority of the public, the grandeur and mystic of SDOs is lost and I direct my crew to stay on the brighter targets (if available).

Compete...?

It's all about the show and the welcome. People will remember you for how you made them feel and not so much on what was shown. The C11 is a beast and very photogenic...and our visitors are impressed in the C.A. experience. The internet/magazines cannot provide this and this is where we excel. I have been to Star Parties where the old curmudgeon is focused on some obscure Caldwell catalog object...and promotes himself as a smart ass....with little people skills and making the visitor feel stupid and not welcomed. There have been some individuals who joined Chicago Astronomer Star Parties with their scope and this attitude....and not been back.

I consider it a privilege to be in a position to show lovers of the night sky the wonders of the cosmos and appreciate the the smiles and enthusiasm.

So, yea...I can compete with the Great Hubble Space Telescope - the Universe is big enough for the both of us!

[regichuck]

I think you're doing the lords work here my friend. It sure makes a difference when someone takes the time to explain nicely what is up there to a total newbie without making them feel stupid. If it was up to me, Celestron should have their entire line of sct's at your disposal, for people to look through at your next star party... and every one of them pointed at a crescent moon. They would sell like crazy.

I still remember the first time I saw saturn through a telescope, and the moon, oh my! I still get thrilled every time I see it in a bigger scope or new eyepiece. I was lucky the person that showed me took the time to explain what I was seeing without ridiculing me for my lack of knowledge, otherwise I would've been turned off to the hobby from the beginning. 

[Paulie pchris00]

I've been meaning to weigh in here for awhile, but haven't had the time. Hubble is great, and yes we're being spoiled by the images it's delivered over the years (and the big ground based telescopes, too). But the average amateur telescope of today can show the Moon and planets better than even most professional astronomers of a century ago ever saw. Like Joe says, it's about the experience, and to a degree the experience has to be sold. Even if you think it's the best you've ever seen, say, Saturn, tell your audience the view is okay, that you've seen it better in bigger telescopes. Explain that, say, Saturn again, is nearly a billion miles away, and looks very small because of that great distance. Let them think they'll be lucky to see anything at all. While they're looking for the sweet spot of they eyepiece, and searching for the object being observed, they'll be thinking it's a waste of time, until, BAM! You'll know the moment they first see it. Whether it be a gasp, wow!, or Holy S***, you'll know. (Those are the three most standard responses to Saturn, not necessarily in that order). It's all about selling it right, setting the context, teaching without it feeling like teaching. Our ancestors may have watched the sky out of necessity, but hardly anybody does these days. Still, to some degree, understanding the cosmos runs deep in our species, I think. Give the average person a good show, and you'll wow them with more than just what can be seen in the eyepiece.

[Paulie pchris00]

Seriously, when you do it right, you'll not only be amazing your audience with the view in the eyepiece, but you'll be engaged in really good conversation, explaining celestial mechanics, or the expanding universe, or who knows what. They'll be taking quick peaks during the conversation, but they'll be more focused n what you're teaching than what they're seeing. No, not everybody is going to react like that, but the ones who do will appreciate so much that the ones who look and think, "Meh," won't matter. Read your audience. Lead them to a question or two they didn't know they wanted to ask, and then their questions will start coming on their own. Those are the people to focus most of your energy on. You'll get it. And probably be pretty damn good at it.

[regichuck]

I agree with you Paulie, I've already been lowering their expectations quite a bit in order to get that holy smokes out of them. The fact that you're seeing something "live" versus memorex is something I like to point out too. Bottom line is that I shouldn't be showing off to people, but then again, it's tough for me to not have someone around to share the excitement of seeing Orion, Saturn and Jupiter on perfect seeing conditions. It makes me sad when people say "meh" because they will most likely never consider joining the hobby and it's my fault because I was too cheap to spend the money on a better scope. That make any sense?

BTW, I just read somewhere the other week that Hubble just discovered another Neptune moon. I think Hubble is trying to tell me something, lol.