She wanted to borrow my telescope, but apparently the planets had to look professional
A parent from my daughter’s science club asked to borrow a telescope for a week. I have a beginner model, so I offered it. It shows the moon nicely and, on a clear night, Jupiter’s brighter moons.
Her first reply was, ‘Can it see Saturn’s rings properly?’ I said yes, but they look small. She asked for sample images, the exact magnifcation, and whether it tracks objects automatically. Mine doesn’t. Then she said her son would be disappointed by ‘a white dot’ and asked whether I knew someone with a more advanced telescope.
She also wanted the owner to set it up because she didnt want responsibility if anything went wrong. I withdrew the offer. Her response was that people shouldn’t offer educational equipment unless it gives children ‘the full experience.’
Two days later she asked to borrow my binoculars as a backup, but only if they came with a tripod.