[garylea]

Last year, just before the Mars opposition, I decided to purchase a telescope to get a look-see. It had been nearly 20 years since I last was in the market and, wow, have things changed?! However, I still have a weakness for refractors and went for a good basic AOE102 on an EQ5.

Since then, things have gone well. I have started finding my way around the Southern sky (yes, another ****** Pom having to adjust), made easier by using Orion (albeit initially registering as upside-down to me) as my initial orientation point.

My six year old son has also started to join in. The first time he saw Saturn (about two months ago), he stared up at me with little round eyes, whispering "I've seen a gas giant" in awed tones. Since then, he has also seen Jupiter and the four Galilean moons.

Next, I am planning to motorise my mount and get the necessary T-rings, etc. for basic astrophotography. My wife is a good terrestrial photographer and has a spare Olympus SLR which she would like to use. This is turning into a full-fledged family hobby...