Radio Astronomy For most of us, the idea of astronomy is something we directly connect to stargazing , telescopes and seeing magnificent displays in the heavens. And to be sure, that is the exciting area of astronomy that accounts for it s huge popularity. So to the uninitiated, the idea of radio astronomy seems strange. Scientists refer to a comet that is expected to burn out or impact the sun within two hundred years as a short period comet whereas a long period comet has a life expectancy of over two hundred years. That may seem long to us as earth dwellers but in terms of stars and planets, this is a very short life as a space object indeed. You can set aside some quality hours with people who know telescopes and have their rigs set up to examine their equipment, learn the key technical aspects, and try them out before you sink money in your own set up. There are other considerations to factor into your final purchase decision. How mobile must your telescope be? And because it is almost impossible to hold the binoculars still for the length of time you will want to gaze at this magnificent body in space, you may want to add to your equipment arsenal a good tripod that you can affix the binoculars to so you can study the moon in comfort and with a stable viewing platform. Just remember that your telescope lens works best when it takes in the most light it can from the object you are viewing. So the wider the diameter of the lens, the better a view you are going to get. So don t fall for the amplification level only. Carefully evaluate the lens size so you have the right fit for what you want to do. But it s an important word because the aperture of the lens is the key to how powerful your telescope is. Magnification has nothing to do with it, its all in the aperture. - Focuser is the housing that keeps the eyepiece of the telescope, or what you will look through, in place. The focuser has to be stable and in good repair for you to have an image you can rely on.