Telescopes 101
Backyard Astronomy is a challenging and rewarding hobby that can entertain you and your family for a lifetime. Purchasing a new telescope can be an overwhelming task if you know little about the product. Our "Telescope School' will help inform you on the different types of telescopes and their features. Spend some time reading the below articles and you will dramatically improve your knowledge of telescopes to help you choose the one best for you.
New Planet
Astronomers have discovered what many are saying is our Solar System's 10 th planet. It's reportedly to be named Xena, and its discovery is the first of a planet since Pluto was found 75 years ago.
Fighting Dew
You've waited weeks for a perfectly clear night and you're all geared up for a night of backyard observing. You've spent half an hour setting up your telescope and working out the perfect alignment. You begin your night with friends and fellow astronomers looking at favorite planets and deep sky objects - the night could not get any better. The conversations get more penetrating and before you know it you're asking whether the human race could possibly be alone in the universe.
Deep Impact
After a journey measured in the hundreds of millions of miles, Deep Impact's copper-loaded "smart bullet" slammed into comet 9P/Tempe1 1, penetrating deep beneath the comet's surface before vaporizing and blasting out a cone of debris. The flash from the 23,000-mile-per-hour impact was visible from Earth-based telescopes, and light reflecting off the spreading debris cone was improving the comet's visibility.
Understanding Telescopes
Purchasing a new telescope can be baffling, especially for the first timer. And most of us are left wondering, so which telescope is for me? Understanding telescopes and their various accessories can go a long way in choosing the best one for you. Whether you are an amateur astronomer or veteran pathfinder, here are a few basic ground rules that will help you better identify the different types of telescopes and help you opt for the ideal one for you.
