It s rather strange because the actual conduct of a serious student of astronomy is really not the stuff of high adventure. You will never see a Raiders of the Lost Arc or Jurassic Park movie made about an astronomer. Excitement for lovers of this science is to stay up all night watching the cosmos through a powerful telescope. In 1993 a new lens was installed on the Hubble which corrected the problem of picture resolution that was noted in the early operation of the telescope. It is hard to imagine the science of astronomy or the natural quest for greater knowledge of our universe without the Hubble. While many times those who would not fund space exploration have tried to cut funding for the Hubble, the operation of this telescope is just too important to astronomers and to the scientific well being of mankind and our planet not to continue to use the Hubble, or its next natural successor. It is one of the oldest sciences on earth so find out the greats of history who have looked at these stars before you. -Get a geek. Astronomy clubs are lively places full of knowledgeable amateurs who love to share their knowledge with you. For the price of a coke and snacks, they will go star gazing with you and overwhelm you with trivia and great knowledge. - A binocular telescope uses a set of telescopes mounted and synchronized so your view of the sky is 3-D. Beyond the basic types, other terms refer to parts of the telescope or to the science behind how telescopes work. - Collimation is a term for how well tuned the telescope is to give you a good clear image of what you are looking at. For some, that wow moment becomes a passion that leads to a career studying the stars. For a lucky few, that wow moment because an all consuming obsession that leads to them traveling to the stars in the space shuttle or on one of our early space missions. But for most of us astrology may become a pastime or a regular hobby. Astronomy has had an impact on so many areas of our lives that we really don t recognize. Many words in our language had their roots in astronomy such as... - Influenza which comes from the Latin root word for influence. This reflects an early belief that the position of the moon and stars may influence health and cause or cure disease.