Had a customer ask why he couldn't see Jupiter like it showed on the outside of the box on his new
telescope. False advertising? I explained all the technical reasons, of course, but I could tell he was disappointed. I get this a lot. Not sure if it helped, but I explained to him that the biggest thrill for me in
astronomy is actually finding all the wonders of the night sky, on my own, and then seeing them all with my very own eyes with my very own equipment. That way I can say I actually have seen these things, for myself, rather than second hand in a magazine, or a TV show or, yes, even an illustration on the outside of a
telescope box. It's the difference between being out in the field, in the game or up in the stands, watching everyone else have fun.
