1. What to look for and what to do once youve got it! TELESCOPE CLINIC

2. Start Small! WHERE TO BEGIN

3. LEARN THE NIGHT SKY

4. GET A PLANISPHERE

5. RED FLASHLIGHT

6. CHECK OUT SOME FREE APPS! Stars Planets Sky view free Star Safari Sky Map Phases of the Moon ($.99)

7. Theyre cheaper More portable TRY BINOCULARS FIRST

8. 3 rd Wednesday of the month at the WB Planetarium, 7:30 p.m. Final two meetings before summer Wednesday, April 9 Wednesday, May 21 www.tristateastronomers.org Experience with many different scopes COME TO A TSA MEETING!

9. A few hundred dollars? A few thousand dollars? COSTS

10. A FEW THINGS TO CONSIDER

11. Diameter of the main lens or mirror of a telescope APERTURE

12. High f ratio = better high magnification viewing Take focal length/aperture F-RATIO

13. Depends on what you want to see. High power gives smaller patch of sky Pleiades and Milky Way are better in low power High power may not be necessary for you SHOULD I GET THE BIGGEST AND HIGHEST F-RATIO I CAN AFFORD???

14. Department stores Advertising SUPER HIGH POWER STAY AWAY FROM TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

15. http://www.tristateast ronomers.org/parties.htm http://www.tristateast ronomers.org/parties.htm WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF TELESCOPES AND WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME?

16. GOTO SCOPE OR MANUAL

17. NEEDS

18. FINDER SCOPE

19. STAR CHARTS

20. Color Filters Moon Filters Solar Filters http://www.telescopes. com/telescopes/howdi fferentfilterscanbettery ourviewarticle.cfm FILTERS

21. EYE PIECES The smaller the number the higher the magnification, smaller your field of view Focal length of telescope/focal length of eyepiece gives magnification Barlow lens doubles magnification http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equipment/basi cs/Guide_to_Eyepieces.html http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equipment/basi cs/Guide_to_Eyepieces.html

22. To help show others what youre looking at. More fun to observe with a friend. LASER POINTER

23. Easy transport of materials TACKLE BOX

24. PLACES TO GO TO BUY A SCOPE

25. http://www.telescope.com/ http://www.telescope.com/

26. Recommended by TSA https://handsonoptics.com/ Damascus, Maryland

27. Worked with WB Planetarium http://www.theskyplus.com/ Todd Baltimore Maryland

28. http://www.company7.com/ Montpelier, MD Where I bought my own personal telescope Will tighten up your optics on factory bought scopes, smoother motion & better aligned optics

29. www.tristateastrono mers.org www.tristateastrono mers.org www.cloudynights.co m www.cloudynights.co m WEBSITES TO VISIT

30. Thursday, April 4 Friday, April 5 Dusk – 11 p.m. Telescopes Hands – On Zone for kids Sky Tours More! TSA ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD STAR PARTY