Backyard Voyager: The Amateur Astronomer
If you still feel a need for more background knowledge, or information about the history of astronomers or the history of telescopes themselves, there is a wealth of online history beond what is covered here. If you feel you're ready to dive right in, it is strongly suggested that you make every effort to find out what to expect when you look through a telescope for the first time. The first button at left leads to a page showing the amateur an aproximation of his or her first glimpse of a planet through a telescope of roughly ten inches in aperture.
