Expert: Tom Whiting - 12/26/2005

Question
Hi,

You may not remember me, but I had asked you about advice on binoculars and telescopes that I could get for my Dad, an amateur astronomer.  Well, we ended up going with your advice to get the binoculars.  My Dad was incredibly pleased with his Christmas present and is looking forward to testing out his new binoculars and begin searching the sky for the UFOs he believes are out there! he he he

Thanks very much again, your help was greatly appreciated! :o)

Sincerly,
Lara Janitens

Answer
Hi Lara,
Yes, I do remember, and I'm so glad you followed my
advice.  See, telescopes are a very personal nature...like
cars or different foods that we each like.  So until you know
what he specifically wants to specialize in....deep sky objects,
lunar/planetary detail, variable stars, comet hunting, asteroid
observing, nova and Supernova hunting, splitting double/
multiple stars, etc...there is a scope out there that maximizes
each of these activities, so it's better to get him a "training
aid" (binoculars) then let him eventually pick out his own high quality telescope.

Oh, and as far as UFO's (especially those that pertain to
so called aliens)....you won't find one astronomer that
subscribes to UFO's.....we know better as we know the
distance and the enormous energy requirement to perform
that kind of travel distance.  It's so huge that no one in
their right mind would make one pass over, say Lake Erie,
then pack it in, and head back out into space.  When we
eventually go to Mars, are we going to make one pass over
the highest mountain, then say, OK guys, pack it in and let's go home?  No, after expending all that time, energy, fuel, and
cost, we're going to land, stay a while, explore, etc etc.
That's the "normal" thing to do, right?

In fact, you won't find one real astronomer (well, maybe one
out of the 3 million astronomers) who subscribes to
UFO's, or any alien visitations, ghosts and goblins, astrology,  ouiga boards, numerology, fortune telling,
metaphysics,  or any of those way out occult items.
WE all know better.  Land one in my backyard in broad
daylight, then I'll believe it....but it ain't gonna happen!

See, the problem being that the average person doesn't know
what they are seeing, especially lights at night, and especially low on the horizon.  But astronomers know the night sky,
so they know where Venus is, and the other bright planets, and the brighter stars rising and setting, and what a point - face-on --(coming right at you) meteor looks like, and what Northern Lights look like, and the Zodiacal light, the different types of Earth satellites (there are over 10,000 of them in orbit now), and other phenomenon that the average person on the street is not aware of......so 99.99999% of the time, we can identify the "mysterious" light that we see.
Whereas the average person on the street....can't.  FWIW,

Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie, PA



FOLLOW UP:
Thanks for the nice comments Lara, and if you ever
have an astronomy question, or advice needed, feel
free to contact me directly at
bwhiting@velocity.net
as I am retired USAF Pilot and have lots of time on
my hands.
Clear Skies,
Tom  Whiting
Erie, PA