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A neighbor told me to look for Jupiter through a broken pair of binoculars
Last summer my next door neighbor Bob insisted I could see Jupiter's moons with these old binoculars he had, the ones with the right lens cracked. I figured he was just being a nice guy, you know, making conversation. But one clear night in August I actually tried it, holding the good side up to my eye and bracing my elbows on the fence. And he was totally right. I could see four little dots lined up next to Jupiter, plain as day, no telescope needed. The trick was keeping my head super still and using a low tree branch as a rest. Now I tell everyone to try binoculars first before buying a big scope. Has anyone else had luck with cheap gear for planet watching?
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morgan.mary2mo ago
Did Bob offer to cover the other lens with duct tape too?
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robert_smith362mo ago
Man, that's rough... I feel for you. Sometimes people mean well but their solutions are just... weirdly specific. Like Bob's brain went straight for covering a camera lens and didn't think about how that doesn't actually fix the real problem. It's one of those moments where you just nod and smile while wondering how they got through life this far. I've had coworkers suggest taping things too, like it solves everything from a broken hinge to a leaking pipe. Hope you got it sorted without too much trouble.
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jordanl822mo ago
Right, but is it really that serious though? I mean, I get that Bob's solution was weird, but covering a lens with tape is pretty harmless compared to some of the stuff I've seen people try. It's not like he suggested shoving a potato in the tailpipe or something. @morgan.mary's question about the other lens made me laugh, but honestly, Bob probably just panicked and went with the first fix that popped into his head. People act like it's the end of the world when someone gives a bad idea, but sometimes you just gotta shrug and move on. Unless the tape actually caused more damage, which I doubt, it's just one of those things you forget about by the next day.
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