MANY beginning stargazers soon try to imagine what objects would look like through their own telescope. Often the view is a big disappointment. So let's do this right. There is NO big hurry to rush out and buy a telescope! Instead, start with some basic training. Before you spend any money, take the time to become familiar with the sky. Get to know it forwards, backwards, inside out, upside down, sideways, blindfolded, and every other which way before you give in to the lust you feel for a telescope. The bright stars and constellations are the keys that will unlock the telescopic universe for you. Be able to find them on any night of the year and at any time of night. For example, can you locate the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) in the sky right now, as you are reading this? What about all the other constellations? Can you name the major constellations that populate the evening sky during each season of the year? Knowing the sky well means you are ready to help others get excited about stargazing.
So, you know the sky and you're ready for some optical aid, but a telescope is way to expensive? Solution: use binoculars. Using binoculars is like observing through two little telescopes. They don't have to be fancy or expensive, and you probably already have them at home. Binoculars will allow you to explore the universe that you could not see with your eyes alone. That's right! There are thousands of celestial objects out there that you can't see with your eyes but you can see with binoculars. Granted, binoculars may not seem as romantic or glamorous as a telescope, but using binoculars is very relaxing, easy, and best of all, cheaper than using a telescope. To learn more about why you should use binoculars before a telescope read, Why binoculars?.
Here's some background about binoculars.
You may want to practice using binoculars. The constellation Orion the hunter offers plenty of good views on winter evenings. Sagittarius offers great views on summer evenings. Choose a constellation of your own and concentrate on observing all the objects--stars, smudges of light, etc. you can see.
As you get more and more advanced, your observing repertoire will also increase, and you may want some advice from the Astronomical League's Observing Clubs.
Some amateur astronomers have gone so far as to design and build "binocular telescopes." These new "toys" are actually two telescopes side by side. They range in size from small (several inches in diameter) to large (30+ inches in diameter). But amateur astronomers and stargazers aren't the only ones using binoculars. Professional astronomers have their own craving for binoculars--in this case, BIG-time binoculars! The Large Binocular Telescope (LBT) Project is one example of how technology is rapidly changing the way astronomy is done.
SKY LIGHTS Observatory
in my backyard. The mount is permanent and the Celestron 8" telescope can be set up in 3-5 minutes. A picnic
table keeps all my accessories handy. My limiting magnitude (the dimmest star I can see) is typically 5 and 5.2 on good nights.
The location is near the center of Ames, Iowa, a community of about 50,000 people. Many observers love using their unaided eyes and binoculars and wouldn't have a telescope if you gave it to them! And many avid telescope users rely constantly on binoculars. But many people want to own a telescope. Now's the time to give in to the craving you've had for a telescope. But beware: buying or building a telescope and then using it is not as easy and as glamorous as it looks. It takes lots of time and patience to get comfortable with a telescope. Most people don't realize that the views they see through a telescope are not like the photographs they've seen all their lives of the planets, galaxies, star clusters, etc. Instead, except for the moon and the bright planets, most everything else looks dim and small through the eyepiece of a telescope. And stars? Well, most look almost exactly the same as they do to the unaided eye. Then there's this little matter of finding things with your new telescope. It's much harder than it looks, but if you are patient and persistent, you will succeed. All of this is not to scare you away from a telescope, but it is important that you know what you are getting into before you spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a telescope.
All the Better to See You With, the notes from a lecture by John Wallin at George Mason University, will help you get a big-picture view of telescopes. Some of the entries in the notes have graphics as well as text.
The Royal Greenwich Observatory in England has an online article about telescopes.
One of the most frequently asked questions (FAQ) is how do I buy a telescope? For some answers see:
Advice for First Time Telescope Buyers
Telescope Basics
Remote or Robotic (automated) Telescopes: are a special kind of telescope:
Robotic Telescope Projects.
Of course, the most famous (not infamous) telescope of all is the Hubble Space Telescope. Since its repair in December of 1993, it has worked almost perfectly. The quality of the images are spectacular, and the other data streams are also excellent. Included here is a section on the Hubble Space Telescope, and access to the photographs taken with it. Be sure to come back to these links whenever the spirit moves you!
Hubble Space Telescope Press Releases.
HST Public Pictures by Subject.
Hubble Space Telescope Public Pictures.
Hubble Servicing Missions.
Space Telescope Electronic Information Service.
NASA homepage.
HST's Greatest Hits (photos) 1990-1995.
Latest HST Observations.
Recent Observations.
When the word "telescope" is used, most people identify it with just one kind of telescope: an optical telescope that is used to collect visible light as seen by our eyes. There are hundreds of optical telescopes all around the world. Learn about some of them from this list of OPTICAL TELESCOPES. To see more about telescopes and observatories than you ever believed available, check out Telescopes & Automated Telescopes.
The electromagnetic spectrum contains many wavelengths, but our eyes can see only the visible light part of the spectrum. Astronomers are very interested in what the universe looks like at other wavelengths, so they have constructed a variety of telescopes to collect data from different wavelengths. Most of these telescopes are housed in observatories or are in space. Select some telescopes from each of the categories of OBSERVATORIES and see how they are used to explore the universe.
The Physics and Astronomy Department at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa manages The Erwin Fick Observatory west of Ames, Iowa.
But what if you want to make your own telescope? There are many stargazers/amateur astronomers who prefer to make their own telescopes for a variety of reasons. The Internet can help:
Amateur Telescope Making home page
will explain the enjoyment of making a scope and perhaps help get you started making one yourself.