Hi Folks. I've been interested in astronomy since childhood but for many reasons never had anything more than binoculars with which to view the heavens. I recently obtained a pre-loved Skywatcher 130mm newtonian (blue tube) and I'm having a marvellous time - when the weather isn't being disagreeable here in SEQLD! I've now spent many hours looking at Jupiter and Saturn, the moon, globular clusters, nebula etc and I'm completely fascinated with what I can see with my small aperture. I've bought some new eyepieces (13mm Orion Stratus, 5mm Orion Edge-on Planetary & a 20mm Orion Expanse) to replace those provided with the telescope, and got myself a moon filter. Like all beginners I have a lot to learn but the beauty is it's all interesting stuff. It's like a novel that you can't put down
If I still feel the same way in 12-18 months, then I'll consider buying a 10 or 12 inch instrument.
Alex
PS I live slightly west of Ipswich where light pollution is still apparent, but far less then being in town - a moonless night looks fabulous :-)