My husband and I had stopped at the drug store and noticed an $80.00 kid's telescope for sale for $20.00. We thought,"Why not?" Took it to the register where it rung up for $5.71! (Somebody really wants to get rid of inventory!) I put it together and for the next few nights had lessons in patience and now need a chiropracter for the crick in my neck. I would sight a planet in the spotting scope--it's right there, I know it hasn't been swallowed by a black hole, then spend seemingly hours trying to find it with the main 100x objective. I might catch a glimpse of the wayward orb whizzing through my field of vision as I moved the 'scope with the lightest of feather touches to search. After much frustration, "try-try-againing" and grumbling, I finally got one! Saturn was there! Of course every time I tried to adjust the focus, it shook like a blob of jello on steroids. But at long, last it worked! Granted what I was seeing looked like a tiny marble with a bit of a miniskirt, but it was Saturn. Through the vastness of space, this object, so studied, so familiar was real to my eyes in the here and now. I felt a moment of awe and wonder and all for $5.71 (plus tax)!
