How to (NOT) Clean Your Telescope

The optical coatings on your telescope lenses are incredibly delicate and specifically engineered to gather light.

Here is the truth: a little bit of dust on the front lens will have absolutely zero effect on what you see through the eyepiece. Leave it alone!

Mentor's Warning: > Never, ever wipe the lens with your shirt, a towel, or a facial tissue. Doing so will permanently scratch the glass and ruin the coatings. If you absolutely must clean a smudge, use a photographic rubber air blower to remove loose dust, and gently dab it with professional optical lens cleaning fluid and microfiber tissues.