About Will Montgomery
My name is Will Montgomery. I hold a degree in engineering from Penn State University, and I spent years working as a technical professional in manufacturing. But this site isn’t about my career — it’s about something that took me 25 years to get right.
The Telescope That Sat in the Closet
When I was 12 years old, someone gave me my first telescope. I was excited — convinced I was about to see the universe up close. What I actually saw was a blurry, frustrating mess. I had no idea how to set it up properly, no guide to help me understand what I was looking at, and no one around who could walk me through it. I gave up quickly. That telescope sat unused for the next 25 years.
When I was 50, I decided to try again. This time I was patient, methodical, and determined to actually figure it out. And I did. What I discovered is that amateur astronomy isn’t difficult — it just has a steep learning curve at the start, and most beginners hit the same wall I hit at 12 because the information available is either too technical or assumes knowledge you don’t have yet.
Why I Built This Site
Telescope School exists because I didn’t want anyone else to spend 25 years waiting to enjoy the night sky. I started this site as a genuine learning journal — documenting what I tried, what worked, what didn’t, and what I wish someone had told me at the beginning.
I’m not a professional astronomer or an academic. I’m a real person who came back to this hobby as an adult beginner, applied an engineer’s mindset to the learning curve, and worked through it systematically. That’s the perspective I bring to every article on this site: practical, honest, and written for the person who actually needs the information — not the person who already knows it.
What You’ll Find Here
Every guide on Telescope School is written from real experience. I share only gear I’ve personally used or researched in depth. I cover telescope types, eyepieces, accessories, observing techniques, and the fundamentals of finding your way around the night sky — all explained the way I wish someone had explained them to me.
My home location deals with light pollution, so I’ve had to learn firsthand how to work around it — traveling to dark sky sites and making the most of less-than-ideal conditions. If you’re an urban or suburban stargazer, that experience is directly relevant to you.
A Note on Recommendations
Some links on this site are affiliate links, primarily through Amazon Associates. If you purchase something through a link here, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I would genuinely suggest to a friend. My goal is to save you time, save you money, and help you avoid the kind of discouragement that kept me away from this hobby for two and a half decades.
If you have questions, comments, or want to share what you’ve been observing, feel free to reach out. I’d love to hear from you.
— Will Montgomery
Telescope School