• Home
• Shoptics.com Review
• Telescopes.com Review
• Privacy Policy
• Other Telescope Resources

Our universal address, the Solar System!

September 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Where do you live? That’s a common question and the common answer is such-and-such Street. We may live apart in terms of street, city, and even nation, but we all have a common address, the Solar System!

How did the solar system come into existence? It is generally believed that it emerged from a gaseous cloud several billion years ago and planets, an important component of the system, were formed out of this gaseous cloud and its dust.

Till last year we all knew that there were nine planets in the Solar System, but now Pluto is officially an outcast! This is because Pluto does not fit the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) definition of a planet. It is now a dwarf planet.

The chief member of our solar system is the Sun, and its keeps planets in order by its gravitational pull. The Sun is a bright star and exudes heat and light through nuclear fusion. Apart from the Sun, our solar system contains planets, natural satellites, dwarf planets, and small solar system bodies.

A planet, according to the IAU, is a spherical object that orbits the Sun. It must have no small objects near it. Today, there are eight recognized planets in the solar system: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Mercury and Venus have no natural satellite unlike the other six. The Earth’s natural satellite is the Moon.

Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars are known as the inner planets, while Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are the outer planets. The former are rocky, have minerals and metals, have few or no natural satellites, and don’t have rings. The latter are known as gas giants and have rings.

Dwarf planets are also spherical objects orbiting the Sun, but unlike planets their surroundings don’t have to be clear of smaller celestial bodies. Pluto, Ceres, and Eris are the dwarf planets in the solar system.

Small solar system bodies include asteroids and comets. Trans-Neptunian objects and other small celestial objects also come under this category. Asteroids are mainly found in the region between Mars and Jupiter. They are rocky objects that could span several hundred kilometers or be small like dust. Ceres is the largest asteroid. Comets are mainly made of ice, and when they come near the Sun this ice melts to form a comma like shape.  Comets that have orbits less than 200 years, such as, Halley’s Comet are known as short-period comets, while those with orbits spanning thousands of years are known as long period comets. Small solar system bodies that lie in the region beyond Neptune are known as Trans-Neptunian objects.

Technological advances in the form of telescope and spacecraft have helped scientists to obtain a lot of information about the solar system. It’s not a static situation out there, and as new technologies develop here, new and exciting facts about the solar system are uncovered.  And you are wrong if you thought only astronomers and scientists looked through the telescope, it’s a hobby for thousands of people!

You Don’t Need A Telescope To Enjoy Amateur Astronomy

September 27th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

Over the years when discussing my astronomy hobby with non-astronomers I have found that a great majority of them believe that it takes a great deal of money to get started. Nothing could be further from the truth. A few inexpensive aids and your eyeballs are all you need to get started in the fascinating world of amateur astronomy.

Whether or not you want to purchase a telescope one day you will need to learn your way around the sky. The first thing all amateur astronomers, myself include learned is the constellations. These are the signposts that allow us to easily navigate our way around the heavens and to locate the targets we wish to observe. A comfortable chair, dark skies, and a planisphere or all sky chart are all that are required for this. A good planisphere can be purchased for under $15, a sky Atlas is somewhat more expensive but you will use both as long as you are involved in amateur astronomy.

Another activity that requires nothing more than your eyes, and a comfortable chair, is meteor shower observing. There are many meteor showers throughout the year such as the Perseids and Geminids among others. They are not difficult to observe but you do need a dark sky, and be sure to bring a comfortable chair or chaise lounge, warm clothing, and some hot drinks (no alcohol, it ruins your night vision).

Planetary conjunctions are another beautiful sight which can be enjoyed without optical aid. These occur when 2 or more planets are aligned in very close proximity to each other. There are a few more taking place in 2008 on, September 11, 12, and 19, November 12, and December 1, 12, 27, 28, and 31. These can even easily be viewed from the suburbs.

A good resource to learn the dates of events like these is by buying a subscription to an astronomy magazine or two. They are also published on many websites.

The aurora borealis and australis (borealis=north, australis=south) or northern and southern lights, are also an awe-inspiring spectacle that require no specialized equipment to view. Unfortunately, they are usually only visible in higher latitudes (above 50 degrees north and south) but have been seen as far south as Mexico.

If you have a set of binoculars these are a wonderful piece of observing equipment. Even if they are not high quality they still bring in more light than your eyes can. Low-cost binoculars can also be purchased from many retailers both online and off. I will go into binoculars and binocular observing in detail in other articles there is too much detail to go into here.

So as you can see it does not require much money or equipment to get started in amateur astronomy. Your eyes, a planisphere or sky-charts, and maybe a book or two and you are on your way.

Clear Skies.

Should You Consider Telescope Binoculars?

April 11th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

You may have heard of them, or maybe not, but telescope binoculars are gaining in popularity as a stargazing tool. You may wonder what the major difference is between a telescope and telescope binoculars. The simple answer is one eye!

What’s the Difference – Telescope Binoculars vs. Telescope?

With telescope binoculars you peer through the eyepiece with both eyes open, while a traditional telescope uses only one eye. An obvious difference, but an important one.

If you view the night skies through a telescope for extended periods of time at each sitting, you may experience eye fatigue from only using the one eye while the other is usually shut. This obstacle is overcome as the binoculars allow for both eyes to be open during viewing.

Telescope binoculars are similar to traditional binoculars, only with a much longer focal length. Also, the lense and prism system may be different to allow for better viewing in low light situations.

The Difference Between Binoculars and Telescope Binoculars

If you are contemplating the use of binoculars for your astronomy endeavors, make sure that you understand how the magnification and light gathering capabilities are measured. Binoculars are usually listed with two numbers, for example 10 X 50. This indicates a magnification factor of 10, meaning the object will appear to be 10 times larger than the original.

The second number reflects the diameter of the objective lens, in this case 50, determines the light gathering capability of the lens. So, while an objective measure of 30 may be good for daytime viewing, a 50 would typically provide much better viewing at night.

To be effective as telescope binoculars, a magnification of 100 with an objective opening of 70 or more is preferred.

To Mount or Not to Mount

The one caveat here is that the longer the magnification and lens opening, the greater the probability that you will shake when being held in the hands. This is where a tripod or mount will reduce this problem and is essential with longer lenses.

Much like a telescope, these specialized binoculars can be used to spot smaller objects in the heavens. However, you can quickly lose sight of the object if moved, even slightly, requiring you to start your setup all over again.

So, when selecting telescope binoculars, it is best to have the capability to mount your stargazing instrument to a fixed object, such as a tripod. This will allow for better stability and help keep the binoculars pointed in the same viewing direction.

— Next Page »

Copyright © 2007 Telescope Reviews