This subject has fascinated me for several years, just beginning to take tentative steps toward doing anything about it.  I have inherited two relatively new telescopes; one is a Meade, the other I cannot find a maker on, but if I know my husband, he researched them carefully.  To my question:  is there any kind of rating system for the safety to the equipment of keeping these outdoors? 

 I live in Fresno, California, where daytime temperatures can be 112 during the day, and am concerned about expansion and contraction damaging delicate equipment...never mind the grunge from our polluted air!  Bill always wanted to keep them outside where they would be useful (and moving them is no small feat; the larger one weighs about 75 lbs.) and I worried about protecting them.  However, they aren't doing any good just sitting in the spare room, and it seems a crime not to enjoy them.

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ok went to delete but couldn't. Maybe you could delete the post so the thread will disappear

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Thank you Jamie I just realized the link got lost in there from the Nasa home page. I'm enjoying the twitter updates. They socially connect to Facebook, email updates, etc. too.
http://www.nasa.gov/collaborate/index.html
When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of being an astronomer. I loved watching channel 2's nightly send off of "watching for the stars". For some reason, I'm more intrigued now. I think it's that you can do anything speech I give my daughter, girl scouts, and that Care2 make a difference thing that got my attention back to watching the launches again

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