Rant: I was chasing the wrong stars for a whole year

I spent last summer trying to spot faint galaxies with my basic binoculars from my deck in Denver, getting mad when I saw nothing but a gray smudge. The tip-off was a clear night in August when my neighbor's kid pointed at the bright double star in the Big Dipper's handle and said, 'Look, it's two!' I was so focused on the hard stuff I missed the cool, easy things right in front of me. Anyone else get stuck trying for targets that are just too tough for their setup?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_robin1mo ago

Ever notice how this happens with everything, not just telescopes? I did the same thing trying to learn guitar, only practicing impossible songs and getting mad while ignoring the simple chords that actually sound good. It's like we're trained to think the hard goal is the only one worth hitting. Your story about the double star is such a perfect picture of that feeling. Makes you wonder what else we're missing because we're staring too hard at the blurry stuff.

danielwhite1mo ago

Sometimes the blurry stuff is the whole point though.