A new GoTo telescope = Happy Todd

Yes, I finally decided that manual tracking with a 3" Newtonian was no longer allowing me the time to enjoy my observing (OK, I was still enjoying it, but I wasn't seeing as many things due to the amount of time it took to find them!)

After much research, freelance (to save up) and debating, I was able to find a SWEET deal on a barely used 6" Celestron SCT (Schmidt-Cassegrain, for those of you not familiar with this stuff). Sure, I wanted an 8" (or a 9.25!), but budget and portability - and sanity - won out, and I chose the 6". SCT's are good general purpose telescopes for almost all subjects. The folded optics (see image inset below) make them particularly good for grab-and-go scopes (in smaller sizes), since they give the focal length of a very long scope in a very compact package. This allows for larger magnifications that simply aren't available in a refractor or Newtonian at this size. Since aperture (size) rules, I wanted to go as big as I could on a budget, and this one did the trick.

The picture (upper left) shows the scope: the main optical tube is mounted on a single fork mount (yes, single fork...I know that makes no sense, but they make double fork mounts, too). The on-board computer not only allows for tracking of objects - no more repeated nudging the scope to keep things in view - but it also has a built in database of objects that it automatically slews to. Called "Go-To" scopes, these telescopes can make a night of observing much more exciting for novices (raises hand) and those with children (raises hand again), since the hunt for Deep Space Objects (DSOs) becomes much easier. Besides, try telling a 4 year old that Saturn can be bigger in the eyepiece, but that it moves so fast at that size that you can't keep the scope on it. No, they don't like that. They want Saturn as BIG as possible, and don't want it to move out of their field of view.

Are there any downsides? A few. SCT's can be more susceptible to dew, since the front corrector plate is glass. There are dew shields and heating devices to help with this, but I'll worry about that after some actual field usage. Also, since there is a secondary mirror in the front corrector plate (the round circle) that causes a slight obstruction, the contrast of images is slightly reduced. I'll live :)

So, I should be telling you that Go-To is evil, right? That true amateur astronomers should learn the night sky using star charts, and learn to star hop the old fashioned way, right? Sorry, I'm too much of a tech geek to NOT have a computerized scope. I haven't even told you that you can hook up a laptop and actually aim the scope using on-screen star charts...oh, baby! So while yes, I think that star hopping and overall night sky familiarity are absolutely important, so is being able to enjoy your hobby the way you want to enjoy it. For me, that's with a helpful little thing called a motor.

The scope arrives next week, and I'll have new pictures posted ASAP. I cannot wait for first light with it - so many things to look at, now with more aperture!

Until then,
Todd