Refractor vs reflector that is the question…Â Most people seem to have a fairly generic idea of a telescope that they picture in their minds, particularly when shopping for one: A long, skinny instrument with a lens at one end mounted on a spindly but elegant tripod, with the eyepiece at the rear. This is …
Refractor vs Reflector Telescope: What is the Difference? Read More »
When you start with astronomy from your backyard, you might not know where to start pointing your telescope in order to view the stars and planets. A star map is said to be useful because it can help you out, but it’s not very practical, and sometimes star maps you can find online are pretty …
You’ve purchased a new telescope and can’t wait to use it to find celestial objects in the night sky. But although your telescope can be set up in minutes, that doesn’t mean that you can use it straight out of the box – it needs to be aligned!  Why do you have to align your …
The moon is potentially one of the easiest astronomical objects to photograph. It is very bright so it does not require long exposure times or specialist equipment, and most people in most places on earth can see the moon every month. However, photographing the moon well does require some knowledge and planning and some basic …
Why does the moon shine? is one of those seemingly simple questions that people tend to assume they were born with the knowledge to answer, like ‘why is the sky blue?’ That is until someone – usually a young child – asks them the question. But fear not, nobody is born with this knowledge so …
So you’ve bought yourself a shiny new telescope, or you’ve dug an old one out of the attic, or perhaps you have your telescope all set up and working nicely but you get upgrade-itis and have a nagging feeling that there is more quality that can be wrung from your telescope? Whilst idly reading the …
Kellner vs Plossl Eyepiece – What is the Difference? Read More »
There isn’t a person alive who hasn’t seen the Moon in the sky and noticed it changing shape. We’ve all watched it change from night to night, from a crescent to a half and then to full. It then seems to disappear from the night completely before returning, a few weeks later, to the evening …
The Dobsonian telescope has gone through a wide variety of iterations and innovations since it was first invented at the dawn of the Space Age, as well as a great deal of criticism. However, today Dobsonians dominate observing fields, are common even at astronomical observatories, and are widely considered the best beginner telescopes, if not …
What is a Dobsonian Telescope and How Does it Work? Read More »
Focusing a telescope may sound intimidating, but it’s actually a remarkably easy process. In this article, we will explain what how to focus a telescope actually means, how focusers work, and why it’s important. Most telescopes have an external focusing device that physically shifts the eyepiece or camera back and forth along the optical axis …
How to Focus a Telescope (Visually and Photographically) Read More »
Pluto was discovered in 1930, but in recent years it has become a divisive issue for modern astronomers. Some say that the planet is too small to be considered a planet at all. Others say that it should still be called a planet because it is very similar to Jupiter and Saturn, and has a …
Can I See Pluto And Other Dwarf Planets With A Telescope? Read More »
It took me a while to understand the concept of a field of view (FOV) when working with my telescope. I had always thought that FOV was something you could measure simply with your eyes, but it turns out that it’s a term used to describe how much area of the sky can be seen …
What Is A Field Of View In Astronomy And Why Is It Useful? Read More »
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 …
Blue Giants – 9 Interesting Facts About Blue Giant Stars Read More »
