Do we really need all this automation?

As I peruse recent issues of Astronomy magazine I can't help but wonder if the newest technologically-advanced amateur telescopes are actually ruining stargazing. We live in a very fast-paced, instant-reward world where it's easy to expect, or even feel entitled, to get results without the work. The newest motorized telescopes are now coming equipped with built-in digital cameras that automatically take images of the night sky and compare them to their internal databases, allowing it to figure out where on Earth it's located without human input. This means that the user no longer needs to learn how to align their telescope because it will do it on its own.

I get that aligning the telescope can be a pain, particularly if it isn't computerized at all. Once the telescope auto-aligns, it then provides the user with access to a built-in catalog of thousands of night-sky objects that can be found with the click of a button. This means that the user no longer needs to know how to read a star map or locate objects by hand - the telescope finds them automatically and (provided that its auto-alignment went well) the user is rewarded.

Does this help the novice access the night sky? Yes. Does it make it faster to find an object when you're doing a public viewing or star party? Absolutely. But I also believe it acts as a crutch that is too easy to lean on to resist. You don't need to have a mental concept of the celestial sphere, or even be able to identify the location of Pegasus, anymore. Just turn it on, wait a minute, then type in your object. Is it even above the horizon? Who knows, but the computer will tell you! I'm predicting that the next-generation telescope will collimate itself, focus itself, and even have a built-in zoom eyepiece that magnifies and focuses on command. Maybe it'll even have a coffee-maker built in to keep you warm!

I'm a purist, I suppose. The only camera I want is for imaging my target, the only computer I need is one back inside for processing the data afterward. Instant gratification is providing us with the tools to never have to think again, never have to wait too long, and not know how to fix something if anything goes wrong. Grumble, grumble, grumble...oh but it sure is fancy and easy to use! Yes, part of me has great disdain for such a crutch, while another part of me still wants to use it so I don't have to do the darn alignment myself.

Okay, I'm climbing off my soap box, stashing my crotchetiness in my desk drawer, and getting back into the normal mode!

Jupiter is looking wonderful this month. As we approach opposition, the planet is visible all night long and is wonderfully big and bright. Once Taurus rises in the evening, Jupiter is easily spotted as the brightest object around (unless you're looking at the Moon). Keeping track of Jupiter's Great Red Spot is a good test of your optical equipment, and fortunately Sky & Telescope provides a great tool for identifying when it will be visible on a given day. Observing a jovian moon transit (Io passes in front of the king of planets just after midnight EST on the night of December 7/8) is also rewarding for the perspective it provides.

Imagine standing on the surface of Io and looking up at Jupiter dominating your sky! Or better yet, visit Jeff Bryant's website that contains his artistic renderings of this scene, and a multitude of others.

Last month at the public observing night I had the opportunity to view NGC 7009 (the "Saturn Nebula") through the 16-inch and it looked great. There is something very fulfilling about viewing a new object every month. If you have a moderate-sized telescope, give it a try. It's in Aquarius, though, so don't wait too long into the night.

For those of you who are curious...yes, I used the telescope's computer control paddle to find the nebula. I don't have all night ;-)

Happy viewing!