I have learnt my lessons the hard way, cushioned only by the charity of those kind souls willing to share with me their honest experiences and knowledge. I am no professional but I have earned my fair share of costly mistakes. 

Before you proceed to read this, understand that there are no bible truths to any opinions on equipment. They just that: subjective opinions and preferences. Some people swear by this or that piece of equipment. Know that there are always options to everything.

Beginner's Advice

Read Jay Freeman's article "Recommendations for Beginning Amateur Astronomers" at http://www.as.net/~takoonce/astro/beginner's_advice.htm . It covers all the essentials for buying that first piece of equipment, accessories, to sky atlases and observing skills. This comprehensive article is one of the best I have ever read.

"Vision is an acquired skill.  You must learn it, you must practice, and you must keep learning new things, and practicing them, too. Buying a big telescope to see better is like buying a big pot to cook better, or a big computer to program better.  It might help, but cooking and programming depend more on knowledge and experience than on hardware. So does visual astronomy.  People with garages full of telescopes (I can't close the door to mine) are victims of materialism, marketeering, and hyperbole.  Practice is cheaper, and works better.  As I said before, an experienced observer may see things with a small telescope that a beginner will miss with one five times larger." - Jay Reynolds Freeman

Sky & Telescope has amassed the best collection of advice that can be told at http://www.skypub.com/tips/startright2.html .

1. Ransack your public library. 2. Learn the sky with the naked eye. 3. Don't rush to buy a telescope. 4. Start with binoculars. 5. Get serious about maps and guidebooks. 6. Find other amateurs. 7. When it's time for a telescope, plunge in deep. 8. Lose your ego. 9. Relax and have fun. 

"Astronomy teaches patience and humility -- and you'd better be prepared to learn them. There's nothing you can do about the clouds blocking your view, the extreme distance and faintness of the objects you desire most, or the timing of the long-anticipated event for which you got all set up one minute late. The universe will not bend to your wishes; you must take it on its own terms." - Alan MacRobert

Equipment

You alone will make the decision to part with the money. What works for someone else does not necessarily apply for you. (They have a ranch to hold that giant brother of a Hubble telescope, you have only a small balcony.) If you can read this, you can also milk the internet for all the information you need, or there is always the traditional public library. Always do your homework.

The considerations for any equipment are often about: type, features, cost, quality, portability, amount of maintenance, and user-friendliness. And these often correlate with the projected cost. There are so many inventions out there in the market to mess with your mind. 

Read the following article by Fraser Farrell on "Buying Your First Telescope in Australia - How to get a telescope, not an expensive coat-hanger" at http://www.trilobytes.com.au/astronomy/scope.htm . It provides an excellent guide for the clueless in equipment. Also, Sky & Telescope's own collection of telescope tips at http://www.skypub.com/tips/telescopes/choosing.html .

"It saddens me when I have to tell a beginner that they just wasted a lot of money on their first telescope; because they got conned about its capabilities. And usually the seller doesn't have a clue either... Buying a telescope is like buying a car; because both can be expensive, there are different types for different tasks, and if you get one of poor quality it will only disappoint you... Like cars, each type of telescope has its devotees and its critics, and some types are better for certain tasks. Also like cars, virtually all telescope designs are a compromise between cost, performance, and purpose." - Fraser Farrell

Equatorial astronomers take note, there is one essential item that will benefit the life of your equipment: a DRY BOX. Where humidity levels hit over 95%, it's the only thing that will ensure your optics never becomes a jungle for the 'shrooms and other tropical fungi.

Combining astronomy with imaging is a deadly affair, lethal to your bank account's survival. You'll know soon enough. :)

Tips on Astronomy

Sky & Telescope covers a good deal of the same subject that gets repeated over and over again. The same tips and advice that are offered to those who wish to begin astronomy, choose a telescope, use a telescope, even astro-imaging at http://www.skypub.com/tips/tips.shtml .

"Too many people buy a telescope as if it were a TV, expecting it to show pictures all by itself. It's more like a piano, which gives back only as much value as the work you put into it. Learning to use a telescope well is a lot easier than learning a musical instrument, however. If you're reasonably persistent and careful and are willing to practice the techniques described here, you'll soon master the skies." - Alan MacRobert

Astronomy in Singapore

This is where I'm at right now. A tropical city of lights. The night life is fantastic with 24-hour food and entertainment. We get by with the light-pollution, since that is essential to our survival as a developed state and lower crime rates. There's the Singapore Science Centre's Observatory located near Jurong East MRT station which is open to the public on the first Friday of every month. They have special observation sessions for astronomical events like eclipses. Check their schedule at http://www.sci-ctr.edu.sg/ . Activities are sometimes co-organized with the only registered society locally, The Astronomical Society of Singapore (TASOS). http://tasos.org.sg .

Astronomy in Asia

There is a huge conglomerate of astronomy enthusiasts from Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, and Japan. Most state universities have an astronomy society.

Astronomy via E-mail :

A free e-mail list "AstroEvents" created by the Astronomy 2001 Singapore team (click on "MAILING LIST" option) for anyone interested in astronomy around the Asia region; "astroevents@yahoogroups.com" hopes to provide a forum where astronomers from Asia can congregate to share their observation reports, astronomical experiences, club or society events to the rest of the world. Welcome to the spirit of public astronomy.

To subscribe to this group, send an email without subject or content to:
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