1) Spot on. If you won't bother to learn at least a few prominent bits of the sky first then a telescope will be fun about twice and then gather dust. 2) Subsc

1) Spot on. If you won't bother to learn at least a few prominent bits of the sky first then a telescope will be fun about twice and then gather dust. 2) Subscribe? Er, see if you can buy individual copies first. I dropped my subs because, well, the articles all started to become pablum. Probably worth picking up a few issues when you start out. 3) Yes, join a club or tag along. There's no better way to get an idea of what it's about than to meet some enthusiasts and look through their scopes. And a really friendly and helpful crowd, in my experience. Binocs: I bought 10x50s, and I wish I had bought 7x50s. The higher magnification is nice and all, and I can hold them steady enough...for a little bit. You can use 7x50 without strain for a lot longer. Also, yes, do buy binocs. You'd be amazed what you can see with a pair of 7x50s that you can't see with naked eyes. It's a great, cheap, convenient way to get started. Telescopes: buy one that you can afford and that you will use. Like my binoc choice above, I bought something actually nice but big enough that it was a pain to haul around and set up. Save that for later. Buy something that you will pull out on a whim and have a nice evening. This is a very individual choice, of course. If you live in a fairly dark place and the farthest you will take your scope is to your back yard, by all means get that light bucket. :) Overall very solid advice in the article.