Telescope Reviews: From the Editor's Desk: Astronomy Biz Shakeout

I really doubt that today's rates of increase or decrease in astro equipment sales are much different than they were in the first 75 years of the last century. The only thing I have seen that un-flattens the sales curve of this market is the arrival of some spectacular & highly publicized object--a bright comet or a prime Mars opposition for example. Otherwise? Biz as usual. (unless you count the growth phase the internet was responsible for creating --for virtually all speciality retail sectors. But that has also "flattened out" in the last few years for most speciality sectors.)

As for the hobby's health... well, in the 70's i lived in a small (80,000) city. There was no astronomy club. Us kids were the only people we knew of that had and actually used telescopes in the whole town. Zero adults. (which was too bad as we could have used some mentoring!) Both the local colleges had scopes-- which were entirely disused (we checked, what they did have wasn't even operable anymore.) One of the State colleges had an actual early 20th century observatory--which was condemned and torn down in the 70's. Our only link to the wide world was Sky & Telescope and the public library. None of this slowed us down one bit--we all of us had a great time for several years. There were no articles we saw lamenting the end of the hobby either, although in reflection it was pretty bleak by today's standards, that's for sure.

I think it's fair to say that Comet Halley and a Mars opposition created both Celestron and Meade as solvent ventures. How many astronmy clubs were founded in the 80's? (The active one inmy hometown was, right after halley's comet came through!) Much of the growth in this hobby in the 90's was also comet driven--the return of Halley, Hyakutake in '96 and especially Hale-Bopp in '97. Nothing like publicity in the mass media to get people buying stuff is there? Especially since the last comet as spectacular as hale-Bopp came by way back in 1811! And having these spectacular cosmic visiters arrive at the dawning of the internet age didn't hurt either, mmm?

Anyway, i don't see video games, cable TV, disenchanted youth or any of the other usual suspects as especially relevant. Bring another Hale-Bopp through the urban skies and you'll see the astronomy sales curve go in a new direction. The core enthusiasts will always be there, but there never was enough of us to permanently support the size and growth of market that retailers would like to see. I see that as their problem---not mine.

The core will always be there. We didn't get into this because of fabulous comets advertised on the TV. But many of today's casual hobbyist population *did*. They won't last and that shouldn't surprise anyone. The market will readjust down to pre-spetacular visitor levels and it'll be business as truly usual from then until the next "event" brings in another crop of cosmic gawkers.