Sir Patrick Moore, CBE, FRS has long been the scourge of those people selling low-cost astronomical telescopes via mail-order catalogues and non-specialist stores. Ten years ago the quality was appalling and disappointment would have been almost guaranteed - but times have changed, and having surveyed some the best and worst of today's inexpensive mail-order catalogue and main-street astronomical telescopes Patrick has admitted to being astonished by how good some of them are. Today, the best are now excellent value and useful instruments. Part One of Astronomy With a Mail-order Telescope provides reports on some available models along with detailed and essential hints and tips about what to look for when buying. Part Two describes how best to use the telescope, which celestial objects to observe (with full-page star charts to help find them), what you can expect to see, and how to take and even computer-enhance astronomical photographs.
