I received my ?rst telescope, a 60 mm (2. 4 in) Unitron refractor, as a surprise Christmas gift from my father when I was 10 years old,and over the next several years, I spent countless hours exploring the heavens, seeking out virtually every celestial object I could ?nd with this small aperture. I consider myself quite for- nate to have been blessed with a dark,unobstructed observing site for most of my childhood,unlike many of my astronomical friends who were always trying to get to a remote location away from city lights to do worthwhile deep-sky observing. I only had to carry my telescope and star charts just a few feet away into my backyard. By the time I entered high school,the night sky had become a delightfully fam- iar place. I had tracked down virtually all of the galaxies,nebulae,and star clusters within reach of my little instrument,and I split most of the double stars that were theoretically possible with its exquisite optics. Eventually,I earned suf?cient funds working part-time jobs (and saving school lunch money) to purchase a premium 10. 2 cm (4. 0 in) refractor, another Unitron that I quickly put through its paces, once again surveying my favorite deep-sky objects. Despite the fact that I could see all of them much better with increased aperture,I soon recognized how virtually changeless they were, so I started expanding my observational pursuits.
