Thinking about leaving your telescope outside so it’s ready for stargazing anytime? Hold on!
While it sounds convenient, there might be some problems.
In this post, I’ll explain why you shouldn’t leave your telescope outside, and what to do instead.
Leaving your telescope outside exposed to the elements is generally not recommended as it can cause serious damage and degrade your expensive equipment over time.
Also Read: Can you use a telescope through a window
Here are some of the main reasons why you shouldn’t leave your telescope outdoors:
One of the biggest threats to an unprotected outdoor telescope is the weather.
Rain, snow, frost, and moisture can cause serious damage to both the optical parts and the structure of the telescope.
Water can build up on the lenses and mirrors, leading to clouding, stains, and permanent harm.
It can also seep into the tube assembly, causing rust and corrosion over time.
Even if precipitation isn’t an issue, the constant temperature fluctuations that happens outdoors can impact your telescope’s performance.
The quick drop in temperature at night and the rise during the day can strain the metal parts, possibly throwing the optics out of alignment.
When it’s extremely cold, the lubricants might thicken.
And in excessive heat, plastic parts can become brittle and crack more easily.
If you leave your telescope’s optics out in the open, they’ll gather dust, pollen, and other tiny stuff from the air as time goes on.
This can scatter light, mess up image quality, and even scratch the fragile glass surfaces if you don’t clean them carefully and often enough.
Also Read: Can you take a telescope on a plane
Plus, things like leaves, twigs, and bird droppings might end up falling into the tube, which isn’t great either.
Leaving your telescope unattended outdoors also puts it at risk of theft or vandalism.
Even if it’s locked down, someone might still mess with it out of curiosity, which could mess up the careful alignment you’ve worked hard to achieve.
At worst, it’s an inviting target for troublemakers.
Do you really want to take the chance of your valuable investment being stolen, damaged, or tampered with?
Now, if you’re just going to be outside for a short observing session (like an hour or two), you can leave your telescope set up.
However if it’s going to be more than that, do these:
If you are keeping it outside for a short while, you can cover it up and keep it there.
You can use a terry cloth cover or a lightweight tarp to this.
This will shield your telescope from dew forming on the optics and to keep dust and debris away.
That said, if you have a covered porch or shed where you can keep your telescope, that’s a better option than leaving it completely exposed.
The safest bet is to take apart your telescope entirely and bring it back indoors.
BTW, check out our 10″ Collapsible Dobsonian Telescope
This avoids all the risks of leaving it out – exposure to precipitation, temperature changes, debris accumulation, and potential theft or accidents.
If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for disassembling, cleaning, and storing your telescope correctly, you’ll keep it in great shape for many more years.
Putting in a bit of extra effort to safeguard your significant investment is definitely worth it.
Here’s the best way to bring and store your telescope inside:
If possible, have someone assist you for larger telescopes.
This reduces condensation buildup.
If you’re looking for a way to keep your telescope ready for quick observing sessions, you can consider a permanent observatory or observatory shed.
But for most people, it’s best to store your telescope indoors when not in use.
FAQs
If the weather is clear, you can leave it outside for an observing session (1-2 hours). But for anything more than that, you need to cover it properly.
No, you should never leave a telescope outside in winter, even for short periods. Freezing temperatures and snow can damage the optics. Plus, frost will form on the optics too.
Leave a comment