The Best Telescope

In this episode. The Best Telescope
By Patrick Ball

Your telescope comes home in a box full of cheer, with galaxies promised and wonders quite near. The pictures shout WOW! The words say you’ll see. The whole universe—easy!—Just wait, you’ll agree.

You open the box. Oh my, what a sight! There are tubes, knobs, and manuals . . . wait, that’s not right. It looks like it’s English, but maybe it’s not? So you build it–eventually–with the patience you've got.

Then nighttime arrives. And suddenly—Yawn— You’re tired. You’re sleepy. You’re ready for dawn. The rig is too heavy. It’s bulky and grand. It’s cold to the touch, and it’s tricky to stand. It needs an alignment! It needs a new cord! The batteries died (and your brain is just bored). There’s an app that needs updating—right now, of course— While the telescope sulks like a stubborn ole’ horse.

The couch calls your name with its soft, cozy light, so the telescope waits… just one more night. Then next week. Then someday. It slips out of sight. And becomes—yes, this happens a lot— A Coat Rack Deluxe in the "Why-Did-We-Buy-It?" spot.

But this isn't a failure of wonder or heart, it’s friction. Too much of it. Right from the start. For here is a secret they leave off the box: The best telescope isn't the biggest on blocks.

I learned this myself, after twenty long years, with an old-timer scope that was grinding its gears. I needed a change—something crisp, something new, so I brought home a gem: the Askar 103 APO.

No more heavy lifting or setup despair, on a Twilight mount, it just floats in the air. It’s rock-solid steady, no wiggles or shakes, the kind of smooth balance that makes viewing great.

For beginners, kids, and folks just like me, A simple refractor is the magical key. No computers. No motors. No updates to stall. Just a tube. A tripod. And knobs you can roll.

It won’t try to boss you or show it’s so smart, it just helps your eye look from the heart. Now, aiming a telescope? Here’s something true: Without a good finder, it’s tricky to do. It’s like pointing a straw at a tiny gold spark, or chasing a firefly through the pitch dark.

Then the hero appears! No cape. Just a glow. The Red Dot Finder. (Hello! Let’s go!) If you can point fingers at cookies or cake, you can point a Red Dot without one mistake. If the dot’s on the Moon, then the Moon’s in your sight, wrapped up in the lens like a gift in the night.

And suddenly—THERE! Jupiter smiles back. Neptune gleams. And Saturn brings rings to the act.

Here’s a quiet rule the universe keeps: It doesn't care much for the gadgets in heaps. It only asks—just this one small thing—that you look. (It’s better than any old screen or even a book!)

You see, Wonder likes doorways that open with ease. It likes five-minute visits, starting with "please." So step outside. (You’ll need a coat.) Take five. Look up—watch Jupiter gently float. Then head back inside with a grin ear-to-ear.

The stars aren't impressed by how hard you try. They’re impressed when you pause… and notice, Oh my!

And that’s it, On the Fly— Where wonder is weightless and travels by light, And the best telescope ever . . . Is the one used tonight!

I’m Patrick Ball. Stay curious, ask questions. See you among the stars.