Telescopes
Telescopes - everything for astronomy. Videos of telescopes, books about astronomy, beginner and advanced telescopes. Much More Info On Telescopes! - Reviews, major brands, articles, books, all about telescopes and viewing the night sky.
Telescopes
Much More Info On Telescopes! - Reviews, major brands, articles, books, all about telescopes and viewing the night sky.
Telescope Videos
Telescope Blog Posts from Google
- NASA's Fermi Telescope discovers 16 pulsars in deep space | Silver ...
- Washington, July 3 (ANI): Astronomers have used NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope to discover 16 pulsars. A pulsar is the rapidly spinning and highly.
- Telescope stories: caught on film (Royal Observatory, Greenwich)
- As a great film fan, I've had enormous fun over the past couple of years trying to spot telescopes in the movies, and have been able to call it research for the book the Museum recently published on the history of the telescope. ...
- AstroTwitter To Reveal Where Telescopes Are Pointing - MIT ...
- AstroTwitter To Reveal Where Telescopes Are PointingMIT Technology ReviewSo has Stuart Lowe, which is a little odd since he helps to run a radio telescope at the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics in Manchester, UK. ...and more »
- Astrocast.TV » Atacama Cosmology Telescope Yields First Results
- Another chapter in cosmology begins with the first results, available online now here, from Cerro Toco in Chile, from the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT) a cosmic microwave background experiment. From its vantage point some 5200 ...
Telescopes on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Telescope News from Google
- NASA'S FERMI Telescope Probes Dozens of Pulsars
- WASHINGTON, July 2 /prnewswire-usnewswire/ -- With nasa's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, astronomers now are getting their best look at those whirling ...
- How do you bolster the case for bagging a middleweight black hole?
- Simulations of that orbiting telescope's capabilities suggest it would be able to make the kind of observation Dr. Godet describes.
- Crane DC/DC converters help power the Hubble Space Telescope
- "We responded to an urgent need for new power supplies to refurbish the systems on the Hubble Space Telescope. The power supplies being replaced had been ...
- Checking Out Stars on World's Largest Telescope
- The telescope, known as the GTC, has a unique 34.1-foot primary mirror, which allows it to see deep into the universe and examine distant objects in great ...
Telescopes
Vivitar Telescope with Tripod
Amazon Price: $27.90 (as of 07/04/2009) 
BARSKA 40070 Starwatcher Compact Refractor Telescope with Table Top Tripod And Carrying Case
Amazon Price: Too low to display (as of 07/04/2009)
Tasco Specialty 25 x 30 mm Brass Spyglass Telescope
Amazon Price: $29.99 (as of 07/04/2009)
Barska 20-60x60 Spotter SV Angled & Rotatable Spotting Scope w/Tripod & Soft Case
Amazon Price: $82.99 (as of 07/04/2009)
Magnacraft 18X-90X Power Telescope
Amazon Price: $24.62 (as of 07/04/2009)
Buying A Telescope
Aiming a telescope at the night sky has been one of my hobbies for quite a few years. Ever since I was a kid I spent many evenings gazing up into the Milky Way and wondered how many? How far away and how big must some of those stars be? As I got older and my interest in astronomy persisted, I decided it was time I bought a telescope. I started shopping around and found not only are there many types, but of course different features and accessories. I had no idea there were so many choices.
If this is your first telescope, the choices can be overwhelming so I've included suggestions and some of the questions you may want to ask telescope dealers and yourself before you actually buy your first scope. If you already own a scope, these tips will still come in handy if you're thinking a buying a new one.
- First, think of the reasons you want a telescope. Are you part of a stargazing club or planning on joining one? Has it been a passion since childhood? Do you plan on giving it as a gift to a budding young astronomer? Maybe you want to catch a glimpse of the space station as it darts across the night sky! If you plan to get a lot of use from your telescope, the best bet is to buy a larger scope with more features. You'll want one that doesn't limit your ability to explore the heavens. The better the quality, the more you'll enjoy the experience and further your interest. If, on the other hand, you've just read the paper and found out there's going to be a lunar eclipse this weekend, a smaller scope with less features is the way to go. You won't want to lay out big bucks for a great telescope with all the bells and whistles for something you'll get only occasional use from.
Bend, Bounce Or Both?
- What kind of Telescope should you get? The 3 types are refractor, reflector and compound, or catadioptric.
A refractor telescope collects light at the top of a long, slender tube and bends or concentrates it to an eyepiece at the bottom. It's popular with observers whose main interest is the Moon and planets within our own solar system. They provide sharp, high-contrast views at higher magnifications and are less bothered by atmospheric disturbance and than the reflector or compound types. Because of this it makes an excellent choice for observation in a city setting.
The reflector telescope uses a concave mirror at the bottom of a tube, rather than a lens at the top, to gather and focus light. Newtonian reflectors, the most common design, reflect (bounce) the collected light to a smaller secondary mirror at the top end directing the focused light to an eyepiece on the side of the tube, making for a comfortable upright viewing position. These scopes are perfect for those living in an urban or country setting and who wish to explore deeper into the cosmos. They are usually larger and a little bulky in size making transport more difficult.
The third type, a catadioptric, employs a combination of lenses and mirrors to gather and focus light. Its design allows for a larger aperture mirror in a smaller space. Like the Newtonian, light is collected by a mirror in the bottom of the scope. Unlike the Newtonian, the tube is much shorter, making handling and transport easier. The light reflects off the back mirror to a secondary mirror near the top of the scope where it's concentrated once again and reflected to the eyepiece in the bottom of the tube. This design is also excellent for viewing objects beyond our neighbor planets.
Location, Location, Location
- It's true in real estate and it's true in astronomy. If you live in a city where there's well lit streets and neon signs flashing brightly at night, you may need to travel to areas away from the glow. It seriously hampers any attempt at stargazing. If you need to travel any distance to find a good location to practice your hobby, you'll want a telescope that's easy to set up and take down. Don't buy a scope that never comes out of the box because it's too much of a hassle to put together. A place in the suburbs or even the countryside is a much more inviting location. A quiet, peaceful setting with no streetlights, preferably with some elevation is perfect for viewing very faint objects in deep space. Buy a scope with a large objective lense (the larger the objective lens the more light gathering capability it has) and point it to almost any location in the Milky Way and you're sure to be thrilled by what you see.
Hobby Or Passion?
- Are you going out every weekend to observe stars and planets? Do you use star charts and plot locations of various constellations? Do you research deep space objects on the internet? Do you use a CCD (charged coupled device) Camera for astrophotography? If so, then you probably already have an impressive telescope and just want to upgrade and purchase a new scope or accessory. Again the objective lens of your new telescope is an important factor when deciding. You want to gather as much light as possible to provide lots of detail in your photos.
You may just want to take the your new scope on a camping trip with the family. In that case a smaller scope or even binoculars would be particularly well suited for that purpose. It's easy to pack, set up and take down, and very portable. Don't buy the biggest baddest telescope on the market, you'll never fit it in a backpack!
- Lastly, the price you're willing to pay for a new scope will ultimately determine the type of scope you buy as well as the size. You can spend a couple hundred dollars for a simple high quality scope if you're just starting out. Or you can spend thousands for a larger scope with more accessories than a New York model. Your answers to the questions above and your own good judgement will provide you with a firm platform to make a quality decision. If you're solidly entrenched in astronomy and the related fields, astrophotography, star charting etc. then you already have a good idea on the kind of scope you want. If this is your first telescope, I hope these suggestions and ideas have helped. Good luck and have fun stargazing!
Ron Berry is an amateur astronomer and freelance journalist who writes for Essay Street - http://essaystreet.com - For astronomy news and stories or for more information on telescopes and binoculars visit ScopeDoggie.com - http://scopedoggie.com - The universal choice of stargazers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._F._Berry
If this is your first telescope, the choices can be overwhelming so I've included suggestions and some of the questions you may want to ask telescope dealers and yourself before you actually buy your first scope. If you already own a scope, these tips will still come in handy if you're thinking a buying a new one.
- First, think of the reasons you want a telescope. Are you part of a stargazing club or planning on joining one? Has it been a passion since childhood? Do you plan on giving it as a gift to a budding young astronomer? Maybe you want to catch a glimpse of the space station as it darts across the night sky! If you plan to get a lot of use from your telescope, the best bet is to buy a larger scope with more features. You'll want one that doesn't limit your ability to explore the heavens. The better the quality, the more you'll enjoy the experience and further your interest. If, on the other hand, you've just read the paper and found out there's going to be a lunar eclipse this weekend, a smaller scope with less features is the way to go. You won't want to lay out big bucks for a great telescope with all the bells and whistles for something you'll get only occasional use from.
Bend, Bounce Or Both?
- What kind of Telescope should you get? The 3 types are refractor, reflector and compound, or catadioptric.
A refractor telescope collects light at the top of a long, slender tube and bends or concentrates it to an eyepiece at the bottom. It's popular with observers whose main interest is the Moon and planets within our own solar system. They provide sharp, high-contrast views at higher magnifications and are less bothered by atmospheric disturbance and than the reflector or compound types. Because of this it makes an excellent choice for observation in a city setting.
The reflector telescope uses a concave mirror at the bottom of a tube, rather than a lens at the top, to gather and focus light. Newtonian reflectors, the most common design, reflect (bounce) the collected light to a smaller secondary mirror at the top end directing the focused light to an eyepiece on the side of the tube, making for a comfortable upright viewing position. These scopes are perfect for those living in an urban or country setting and who wish to explore deeper into the cosmos. They are usually larger and a little bulky in size making transport more difficult.
The third type, a catadioptric, employs a combination of lenses and mirrors to gather and focus light. Its design allows for a larger aperture mirror in a smaller space. Like the Newtonian, light is collected by a mirror in the bottom of the scope. Unlike the Newtonian, the tube is much shorter, making handling and transport easier. The light reflects off the back mirror to a secondary mirror near the top of the scope where it's concentrated once again and reflected to the eyepiece in the bottom of the tube. This design is also excellent for viewing objects beyond our neighbor planets.
Location, Location, Location
- It's true in real estate and it's true in astronomy. If you live in a city where there's well lit streets and neon signs flashing brightly at night, you may need to travel to areas away from the glow. It seriously hampers any attempt at stargazing. If you need to travel any distance to find a good location to practice your hobby, you'll want a telescope that's easy to set up and take down. Don't buy a scope that never comes out of the box because it's too much of a hassle to put together. A place in the suburbs or even the countryside is a much more inviting location. A quiet, peaceful setting with no streetlights, preferably with some elevation is perfect for viewing very faint objects in deep space. Buy a scope with a large objective lense (the larger the objective lens the more light gathering capability it has) and point it to almost any location in the Milky Way and you're sure to be thrilled by what you see.
Hobby Or Passion?
- Are you going out every weekend to observe stars and planets? Do you use star charts and plot locations of various constellations? Do you research deep space objects on the internet? Do you use a CCD (charged coupled device) Camera for astrophotography? If so, then you probably already have an impressive telescope and just want to upgrade and purchase a new scope or accessory. Again the objective lens of your new telescope is an important factor when deciding. You want to gather as much light as possible to provide lots of detail in your photos.
You may just want to take the your new scope on a camping trip with the family. In that case a smaller scope or even binoculars would be particularly well suited for that purpose. It's easy to pack, set up and take down, and very portable. Don't buy the biggest baddest telescope on the market, you'll never fit it in a backpack!
- Lastly, the price you're willing to pay for a new scope will ultimately determine the type of scope you buy as well as the size. You can spend a couple hundred dollars for a simple high quality scope if you're just starting out. Or you can spend thousands for a larger scope with more accessories than a New York model. Your answers to the questions above and your own good judgement will provide you with a firm platform to make a quality decision. If you're solidly entrenched in astronomy and the related fields, astrophotography, star charting etc. then you already have a good idea on the kind of scope you want. If this is your first telescope, I hope these suggestions and ideas have helped. Good luck and have fun stargazing!
Ron Berry is an amateur astronomer and freelance journalist who writes for Essay Street - http://essaystreet.com - For astronomy news and stories or for more information on telescopes and binoculars visit ScopeDoggie.com - http://scopedoggie.com - The universal choice of stargazers.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=R._F._Berry
Telescope Photos
From the dormitories...
Luna / Moon / Lune
090629-1100131
090629-1100129
090629-1100128
BTG-090627-Great Bas...
BTG-090627-Great Bas...
BTG-090627-Great Bas...
BTG-090627-Great Bas...
Stargazing Event, Gr...
Selecting A Telescope
A telescope can be the most expensive piece of metal and glass that sits on your shelf, or it can be your family's favorite toy. It all depends on how appropriate your decisions are when buying a telescope.
First, telescopes are not mere tubes with lenses at either end. Even the simplest ones are complex and relatively fragile, so they are not something to purchase until your children are mature enough to handle them with care.
Refracting telescopes are the simplest version. These scopes use precision-ground lenses at both the viewing end and the objective end (that's the big end), and also may use Barlow lenses and a mirror to increase the light-gathering quality of your telescope. The best refracting telescopes may have up to eight lenses throughout their construction. Overall, refracting telescopes have low maintenance and are excellent for clear viewing of planets and detail viewing. Look for the ones that have achromatic or apochromatic lenses. Apochromatics are better, but they are also significantly more expensive, sometimes by a factor of 10x the cost.
Reflecting telescopes are the ones that have much fatter barrels. That's because they depend on a well-cut mirror to collect light, rather than perfected achromatic or apochromatic lenses. While reflecting telescopes do a good job of gathering light so you can more easily view distant objects, they aren't as good as a quality refracting telescope for seeing small details on closer objects. For instance, the craters of the moon may not look as clear in reflecting telescopes, though you can see all the stars that make up the Pleiades without any problem. Newtonian reflectors have some of the detail problem corrected, but they still aren't perfect. And while refracting scopes need little maintenance, a reflecting telescope needs mirrors recoated every few years or it loses much of its light-gathering advantage. You may see high-end telescopes of this type marketed as Schmidt-Cassegrain.
There are a few other types of telescopes: the Ritchey-Chretien, which is a modified reflecting telescope; catadioptric telescopes, or compound scopes with elements of both refracting and reflecting types; and Schmidt camera telescope, a catadioptric scope designed specifically for photography. Because of price, most people opt for simpler refracting or reflecting telescopes for at least the first time out.
Selecting your telescope is not all you need to do; you must also select the proper mount, or tripod. The simplest is an alt-azimuth mount, which lets you move your scope up and down and left and right. More expensive are the equatorial mounts, which use alt-azimuth motion but also align themselves according to the earth's spin to make it easier to track heavenly bodies. The best mounts are the motorized equatorial mounts, which can be programmed to not just align themselves properly but even to find specific star bodies for you.
Next, look at magnifying power. This is not as important as you might think. Most telescopes come with eyepieces that provide higher magnification power. Don't pay attention to what the box says; instead, multiply the size in inches of the lens (on refracting) or mirror (on reflecting) of the scope by 50 to find out what the maximum useful magnification is, and depend on swapping out eyepieces to get your real magnification power. Lower magnifications are typically used much more than higher ones.
Larger telescopes in general, are better for viewing, but they are also more delicate. If you have a place where you're going to set up a permanent viewing station, it's worth it to get a large scope, but if you want high mobility, you should get a smaller good-quality scope.
If you live in a high-humidity area or a place where there are extremes of heat or cold in which you will be using your telescope, do not try to get away with a cheap telescope. Telescopes are very sensitive to both moisture and temperature, and your scope must be properly sealed to manage these extremes.
Finally, before buying a telescope, try to join a local astronomy club and check a few of the good ones out. Trying before you buy is always the best way to go, and you'll pick up lots of great tips from other club members in the process.
Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about buying a telescope - tips and how to visit Buy a Telescope for current articles and discussions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Grazian
First, telescopes are not mere tubes with lenses at either end. Even the simplest ones are complex and relatively fragile, so they are not something to purchase until your children are mature enough to handle them with care.
Refracting telescopes are the simplest version. These scopes use precision-ground lenses at both the viewing end and the objective end (that's the big end), and also may use Barlow lenses and a mirror to increase the light-gathering quality of your telescope. The best refracting telescopes may have up to eight lenses throughout their construction. Overall, refracting telescopes have low maintenance and are excellent for clear viewing of planets and detail viewing. Look for the ones that have achromatic or apochromatic lenses. Apochromatics are better, but they are also significantly more expensive, sometimes by a factor of 10x the cost.
Reflecting telescopes are the ones that have much fatter barrels. That's because they depend on a well-cut mirror to collect light, rather than perfected achromatic or apochromatic lenses. While reflecting telescopes do a good job of gathering light so you can more easily view distant objects, they aren't as good as a quality refracting telescope for seeing small details on closer objects. For instance, the craters of the moon may not look as clear in reflecting telescopes, though you can see all the stars that make up the Pleiades without any problem. Newtonian reflectors have some of the detail problem corrected, but they still aren't perfect. And while refracting scopes need little maintenance, a reflecting telescope needs mirrors recoated every few years or it loses much of its light-gathering advantage. You may see high-end telescopes of this type marketed as Schmidt-Cassegrain.
There are a few other types of telescopes: the Ritchey-Chretien, which is a modified reflecting telescope; catadioptric telescopes, or compound scopes with elements of both refracting and reflecting types; and Schmidt camera telescope, a catadioptric scope designed specifically for photography. Because of price, most people opt for simpler refracting or reflecting telescopes for at least the first time out.
Selecting your telescope is not all you need to do; you must also select the proper mount, or tripod. The simplest is an alt-azimuth mount, which lets you move your scope up and down and left and right. More expensive are the equatorial mounts, which use alt-azimuth motion but also align themselves according to the earth's spin to make it easier to track heavenly bodies. The best mounts are the motorized equatorial mounts, which can be programmed to not just align themselves properly but even to find specific star bodies for you.
Next, look at magnifying power. This is not as important as you might think. Most telescopes come with eyepieces that provide higher magnification power. Don't pay attention to what the box says; instead, multiply the size in inches of the lens (on refracting) or mirror (on reflecting) of the scope by 50 to find out what the maximum useful magnification is, and depend on swapping out eyepieces to get your real magnification power. Lower magnifications are typically used much more than higher ones.
Larger telescopes in general, are better for viewing, but they are also more delicate. If you have a place where you're going to set up a permanent viewing station, it's worth it to get a large scope, but if you want high mobility, you should get a smaller good-quality scope.
If you live in a high-humidity area or a place where there are extremes of heat or cold in which you will be using your telescope, do not try to get away with a cheap telescope. Telescopes are very sensitive to both moisture and temperature, and your scope must be properly sealed to manage these extremes.
Finally, before buying a telescope, try to join a local astronomy club and check a few of the good ones out. Trying before you buy is always the best way to go, and you'll pick up lots of great tips from other club members in the process.
Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about buying a telescope - tips and how to visit Buy a Telescope for current articles and discussions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Grazian
Reader Feedback
frakattack wrote...
This is a great lens, Heaps of great info and lots of images. Nice one. Ive got a Telescope Photography Blog which you might be interested in...
Posted April 09, 2009
All About Telescopes
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