The green lasers work well at lower elevations (under about 5500 ft.) or if there is some haze or smoke in the air. If the sky is particularly clean or at high elevations such as 10,000 ft. (Wolf Creek etc.) they don't work very well. Clear Skies Don Colton -----Original Message----- From: utah-astronomy-bounces+djcolton=piol.com@mailman.xmission.com [mailto:utah-astronomy-bounces+djcolton=piol.com@mailman.xmission.com]On Behalf Of Lambert, Aaron Sent: Friday, February 20, 2004 8:56 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Meade LX10 8" Thank you all for your replies, they have been very helpful. I will probably just wait and save up for a Celestron. I should have picked a less expensive hobby, but I'm hooked now. :) Speaking of expensive, I have been having a lot of fun pointing out things to my two older kids (4 and 6), but they have a difficult time with anything that is not obvious (they can find Venus, Orion, and Jupiter, but not Saturn). I have heard a lot of different opinions regarding the green laser pointer as a tool for pointing out stars. If they are as good as some people say it seems like it would be a perfect tool for making sure my kids and I are both looking at the same stars, and also handy for youth groups, and in general pointing things out for non-astronomers. Do any of you know if they are they as easy to see as advertised? I would hate to fork out $90 (they range from $60 to $160 but there seem to be reputable dealers at $90) only to find out that the beam did not help my kids at all. Thanks again, Aaron _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy@mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy Visit the Photo Gallery: http://www.utahastronomy.com