Celestron Sky Scout! Yea, baby, Yea!

I just got this puppy about two weeks ago, and man I can tell you this thing is the perfect thing for beginners like me. I had my astronomy club president come over the other night to see it and he was mighty impressed! I highly recommend it to be at the top of your Christmas list. It's much easier than trying to figure out which star is what when you look for alignment stars.

Clear syies to you all,
Dave Long

Right on, it's good to hear your excitement coming through in your post. Got to love it when you find the perfect toys to play with.

Unfortunately, the Sky Scout costs more than many novices are willing to pay for a telescope.

Dave Mitsky

I was curious about the 3 degree targeting accuracy and how you determine what in the FOV the device is describing. Thus, how does a newbie know for sure the the object described is the object viewed? Also, is there a site that lists the items in its database? Can it be positioned near a set of Binoculars and used as a Finder? I understand that nearby metal the metal tube of a telescope messes with its ability. Considering the price of an XT8 intelliscope, it baffles me why someone would spend the $399 when for a few bucks more a mute 8" dob will vastly exceed the memory, 14,000 I understand.