Folks, my name is Melissa, and I am addicted to astronomy. I’ve always been one of those people who could lay outside and stare at the stars for hours. Recently, I was scrolling around on Amazon and came across a telescope. I just stopped and thought, why do I not own a telescope? And in the cart it went. It is definitely one of my better Amazon purchases. I’ve used it every weekend since it arrived, and I absolutely love it. If you are also addicted to astronomy or feel like it’s something you might enjoy, keep reading.
My Telescope
As I said, I didn’t get anything expensive. But what I have already been able to do with this thing is amazing. I bought the Celestron – 70mm Travel Scope – Portable Refractor Telescope. Here is the link if you would like to take a look. It was $89.95 and worth every penny. It came with two eyepieces, a tripod, and a star finder locater thingy. I’m sure there is a fancy name for it, but I do not know it yet. I have taken the most amazing pictures of the moon just literally holding my cell phone up to the eyepiece. It’s extremely easy to use and came with some really cool software. I barely needed to read the directions to get everything ready to go. You basically just attach it to the tripod it came with and away you go!
My Astronomy Addition Gets Worse
About a week after I got my telescope, I could not get enough of the night sky. At first, it was just the moon. Then I began looking at the planets. Right now, Jupiter and Saturn and close to each other in the sky. They are pretty small, but I went back to Amazon and ordered some accessories for my Travel Scope. I picked up a 2x Barlow lens and holder for my cell phone so I could video the moon. Using the Barlow lens and 20mm eyepiece, I could see Jupiter, its moons, and the rings of Saturn!! It is amazing to sit on my patio in front of my fire pit and explore the galaxy. As soon as this whole COVID thing is over, I’m having a Wine and Stars Party. And that brings me to my next issue.
Addicted to Astronomy….and Expensive Telescopes
Yes, I upgraded. I bought my cute little telescope on June 23rd. Two weeks ago, I spent an obscene amount of money on another one. And it feels like I’m a kid waiting for Christmas. I am so excited my friends, I can barely stand it. It’s on backorder, so I probably will not get it for another three weeks. I bought it from the amazing B & H Photo. Both my dad and I have purchased many things from them in the past. With that amount of money, I wanted to make sure I bought it from someone I trust. Now, I know the advanced amateur astronomers probably own far more expensive telescopes, but this was a pretty big purchase for me. I will talk more about that when it finally arrives. 🙂
Final Thoughts
Over all, I am pretty okay with this astronomy addiction. Of course, that is as long as I don’t go overboard on the spending. During these crazy, uncertain times, I think we are all looking for something to do that lets us observe social distancing while still having a great time. Observing the planets and stars is a great way to spend time with our kids and friends. Personally, I hope I find aliens!!
Enjoy my beginner pictures, and cheers to clear skies!
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