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most objects that are visible in any instrument show relatively little detail in that instrument -- typically not much more than size, shape, orientation, brightness, and degree of concentration. most of them won't bear much more than 1 or 2 minutes of scrutiny

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This is where I would encourage an awareness towards the idea that your *best*, most *awesome* piece of Astronomy equipment is your inner human observatory, using the mind & "spirit / soul", coupled with the readily available "book knowledge" on these "objects".

If folks with what is essentially "cheap" (even if it's a thousand or more dollars!) scopes rely *only* on what they are seeing with their eyes, they will lose out *big time* on the depth of experience that's there to be had. I think we need to "train" folks to no longer be "disappointed" in the level of detail that they're able to see with their eyes of these things, but to "fill in the missing stuff on their own" sorta.

These days we're able to work in reverse, because most everything has been "found" (as far as can be with what the average "amateur" will have available", so we have the benefit of letting all of the already gathered images (deeply detailed!) and data back up what we are seeing with our eyes through the scopes!

Just like Tai Chi is considered a mostly "inner martial art", I believe that we should now be introducing Astronomy to newcomers with much more of an emphasis towards the inner experience, and it just strikes me that perpetuating checklists and "number of objects" as an emphasized method could lead folks into psychological approaches that are not good for the long haul, perhaps getting bored with it once they've "seen it all".

Given the type of orientation that I'm speaking of, it seems that one would stand a greater chance at being oriented more towards extreme excitement and deep fulfillment at being able to see *any* detail at all of these things, and would be apt to spend more and more time with *each* object, fully savoring it and allowing it to fill in not just the retina, but also the imagination and heart.

Anyways, I really am sorry for being abrasive, I'm trying my best to express things that I feel both passionately about and frustrated with, without leaving an overly acidic aftertaste... It's like an overwhelming, turbulent movement from within that's trying to escape through *way* too small of an exit!

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Nekkid Eyes!
12x50 Binoculars
8" Newtonian / Dobsonian Telescope (Stock Zhumell Z8)

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