In 1999, my parents gifted me my very first telescope: a Bresser 3″ Newton (76 / 700 mm). At the time, I had no idea what I was doing – the Moon was easy to find, but everything else felt impossible. Frustrated, I put it aside. Years later, some fellow amateur astronomers showed me how to navigate the night sky. That changed everything. From then on, I took every opportunity to observe – even if it was just a small break in the clouds.
Despite its modest size, I used it for many years – more than any other telescope, in fact. From star parties in Germany, the Silvretta High Alpine Road and all the way to Scotland, this telescope was my trusted companion. While it doesn’t offer the detail of larger optics, I always loved pushing its limits. Sometimes others didn’t even believe me that I could see faint objects despite the small scope and the light-polluted sky near Stuttgart. On the Silvretta High Alpine Road I could even see the veil nebula. And it’s incredibly handy: lightweight, fast to set up, and perfect for a quick look at the stars.