About Optical Mechanics

Image of Oliver Tinley owner of Optical Mechanics

Hi everyone.

My name is Oliver Tinley, and first of all I wanted to thank you for stopping by Optical Mechanics.

I don’t have some crazy story about how I got into this, I just wanted to create a resource to help people learn about telescopes, binoculars and all things optical equipment.

While I’m not an expert in everything there is to know, the team here at Optical Mechanics are. 

Our editorial team is made up of some of the best in their respected fields, from die hard enthusiasts to experienced professionals and published authors.

The team at Optical Mechanics will always put our readers first when it comes to how we do business and the content that we produce and thats something that we put our name to.

I’d like to thank you again for stopping by, please take a minute to check out the profiles of the rest of the team and find out what makes us tick.

Meet the Team

Below we have sorted our Posts by Author, so if you like a particular style, they should be easier to find.

Posts from Oliver

Which Inventor Created The Telescope Is It Really Galileo

Which Inventor Created The Telescope? Is It Really Galileo?

By today’s standards, the telescope may not seem like a particularly technical device. But it was one of the most important scientific instruments in history and helped usher in an age of discovery that continues to this day. We often get the question, who created the telescope? Many people attribute the invention of the telescope

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Blue Giant Stars - 9 Interesting Facts

Blue Giants – 9 Interesting Facts About Blue Giant Stars

Stars are some of the most widely recognized astronomical objects and are very common in space. There are billions of stars in the Milky Way alone, and their abundance means that there are actually lots of different kinds of stars and each type has its own unique features. Today’s focus are the very cool, very beautiful

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What Is A Barlow Lens And Why Every Astronomer Needs One

What Is A Barlow Lens And Why Every Astronomer Needs One

Astronomy is one of life’s greatest, most beautiful mysteries. We look up to the sky and we are looking back in time. It’s such an amazing thing for the mind to try and comprehend. We look up to a sky full of possibility and wonder. Some of the greatest minds of all time have stared

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Posts from Richard

Posts from Zane

Star diagonal on a telescope

Why Is My Telescope Image Upside Down? – Answer & How To Fix

  When you look through a telescope at the Moon, you might be a little confused as to why it looks flipped left to right or rotated on its side 180 degrees. Your finderscope perhaps produces an image similarly flipped upside-down. This can be a headache to understand, and many beginners often wonder why it

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Orion SkyScanner 100 Review: It’s Cheap, But Is It Good?

The Orion SkyScanner 100 is basically the cheapest good telescope available these days, with a proper parabolic primary mirror to deliver sharp images, enough aperture to show you faint fuzzies, and accessories that aren’t plastic garbage. The scope does have a few concessions due to its low price tag but these are easily ignored. Like

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Orion XT 4.5 Review

Orion Skyquest XT4.5 Review: Is It Right For You?

The Orion SkyQuest XT4.5 is the smallest of Orion’s XT-series “SkyQuest” Dobsonians, and seldom seen at star parties or astronomy events. It’s a rather niche instrument considering the lower price of shorter 4.5” and even 5” tabletop reflectors, however is a good entry for someone considering a smaller, lower-priced dobsonian. What We Like What We

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Posts from Alan

Posts from Jordanne

Meade telescopes

Did Meade Telescopes Go Out of Business?

Meade Telescopes: The Granddaddy of Them All Meade Instruments (often shortened to Meade) is an American manufacturer that manufactures, imports, and distributes telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, cameras, and telescope accessories. They are known for their Schmidt-Cassegrain, Newtonian, and solar telescopes. History of Meade Instruments Meade was founded in 1972 by John Diebel as a

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how old is the sun

How Old Is the Sun?

Earth’s Most Essential Essential: The Sun The Sun is a massive, luminous ball of plasma located at the center of our solar system. It is estimated to be about 4.6 billion years old, making it one of the newer objects in the Milky Way galaxy. The Sun provides us with light and heat, which is

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2023 eclipse

2023 Eclipse Guide: Don’t Miss Anything!

Who Doesn’t Love An Eclipse? Solar and lunar eclipses are spectacular celestial events that have enthralled and captivated viewers for millennia. Occurring in cycles, these two types of eclipses are mesmerizing to behold and often require travel to truly appreciate. This article will explore the nuances of solar and lunar eclipses, their causes and appearances,

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Post from Andrew

How to view the ISS with a Telescope

How to Observe the International Space Station (ISS) with a Telescope Observing the International Space Station (ISS) with a telescope is a thrilling experience for amateur astronomers and casual stargazers alike. As one of the largest man-made objects in low Earth orbit, the ISS is easily visible to the naked eye when conditions are right.

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How to Capture Stunning Photos of the Moon with a Smartphone: A Complete Guide

The Moon is a mesmerizing subject for photography, easily within reach for amateur photographers equipped with a smartphone. By adjusting the right settings and employing a few tricks and accessories, you can capture stunning images of the Moon with and without a telescope. This article will cover Moon photography just using a Smartphone, and then

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How to Fix a Telescope That Won’t Stay Aligned with Celestial Objects

Telescopes are incredible tools that open up the universe for amateur astronomers. But one of the most frustrating issues users face is when their telescope won’t stay aligned with celestial objects, leading to constant repositioning. This common problem can affect beginners and seasoned astronomers alike. In this article, we’ll delve into the possible causes behind

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