Just before the Bryce astrofest, I visited a very old friend in Kingman AZ. He is 85 or maybe a little older. He has great dark night skies in his own backyard but not much cash, and he expressed a desire to own a telescope. He gets dizzy if he leans over too far, so a Dobsonian mount is out. But he and his son could wheel a telescope right out of their garage if needed. My many siblings would probably be willing to chip in buy a telescope for him, for $1000 or so. What advice can you give me? As a new stargazer myself, I have a lot of questions. How well can an elderly man generally see, when it comes to astronomy, and what does that mean for eyepieces? What would strike a balance between a simple learning curve and less effort to take a closer look at the sky? I think he would like looking at planets but would not stop there, as he says (and I agree) that the stars in his backyard are so bright that it looks like you can reach up and pluck them. However, these really are his later years: he is not going to start learning astronomy in any intensive way. He wants enjoyment, not 'lessons'. How can I optimize what he gets for the money? (Used equipment is a good idea, of course, but I need to know what to be looking for.) best regards, Marlene Egger