The world has changed since I first started subscribing to most of these magazines. A lot. Way back then, the only reliable way to get easily-accessible information about what was current in the world of astronomy was to check out Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine. But then the Internet came along, and everything changed. Now, instead of getting the latest news two months after it breaks, I can learn about things online as the news comes out. Instead of getting a guide to next month's sky last month, I can just get a copy of Guy Ottwell's Astronomical Calendar (which has actually been around since 1974) and have a year's worth of star charts and detailed information for a fraction of the annual subscription rate to either magazine. And I don't really need rehashed articles on elementary astrophysics or yet another guide to equipment I'll never be able to afford.
In that vein, there is one thing that I will miss more than everything else: the annual inclusion of the A.G.A. Correa & Son catalog in the January issue of Sky & Telescope.
Because the Sky & Telescope demographic demands a $2350 pin of the Big Dipper (including Alcor.) |
I've come to look forward to this annual celebration of wealth. It's something of a Christmas tradition that reminds me of how ridiculously wealthy some people are. People who can drop $3300 on 18k Monkey's Fist cuff links. Unfortunately, the $37.95 renewal subscription rate for Sky & Telescope is a little too rich for my blood. I guess I'll just have to remember to visit the A.G.A. Correa & Son website every year at this time.
No comments:
Post a Comment