[spikeface (Peter)]

hello fellow astronomers! i have been gone from the warm embrace of these forums for so long, indeed, even from astronomy! i was getting frustrated with my ongoing efforts to improve my slowly developing skills, and have taken a(n?) hiatus. what an idiot! my reason? i'm now competant enough to find my way around the sky and my scope (12'' lightbridge) but i can't seem to progress! e.g. my viewing of planets esp. jupiter is not resulting in delicious bands of clouds which i crave...

so i went to the 'scope guy i go to and he told me my big 'lightbucket' (as he called it) is good for deep space but bites for planetary adventures. "buy another scope as well" he says (from him, no doubt)... so, irritated future wife's concerns brushed eloquently aside, i believe i shall... BUT WHAT SCOPE, EYYYY??

please have a go at telling me... a refractor apparently is appropriate... sorry for the excess dithering, but i'm excited to be looking upwards again!