Photo by: DrJunge Creative Commons A telescope is an instrument used to observe objects from afar. The word is derived from Greek words tele and skopein which means “far” and “to see” respectively. Contrary to popular belief, it was not ‘invented’ by Galileo. There has been evidence of a refracting telescope that has been in […]
'Telescope' Category Archives
Setting Circles
Photo by: Jastrow Creative Commons Setting circles are disks used on various telescopes outfitted with an equatorial mount to aid in the search for astronomical objects anywhere in the sky by referencing equatorial coordinates used in the star charts. It functions by attaching those graduated disks to the right ascension and to the declination axis […]
Reticle
Fine lines or webs used in the focal plane eyepiece are called Reticle. It is used for centering objects or as a guide for making angular measurements. It is commonly used for telescopes, cameras and even rifles. It is also known as graticule. The lines on the reticle are also typically illuminated.
Resolving Power
One of the most important features or power of a telescope is its capability of showing us the smallest details along with clear, sharp images of the object that we are viewing. This is what’s referred to as its resolving power. There are certain celestial objects that are too close together that they tend to […]
Refracting Telescope
A refracting telescope is one of the earliest tools used by astronomers from way back to study outer space and distant objects. It is one of the two kinds of optical telescopes and uses a lens as the light gathering part or the objective as opposed to a mirror that is commonly used as the […]
Radio Telescope
The term radio telescope can be quite misleading since when you think of a telescope, you think of a device used for viewing objects; while you attribute the word radio with hearing. However, all the discoveries in radio astronomy that people know of today could not have been possible without the trusty radio telescope.
Primary Mirror
The primary mirror is defined as the light gathering, or refracting surface of a telescope. It is also called as the telescope’s objective. In a reflecting telescope, it either uses a single or a pair of curved mirrors to reflect light in order to form an image based on the location where the said telescope […]
Naked Eye
When someone mentions astronomy, what often comes to mind are planets and stars seen through a telescope. Astronomy is indeed the study of heavenly bodies, but it need not be with the use of telescopes and sophisticated instruments. Astronomy can also be studied using just the naked eye, and this was how the early pioneers […]
Objective Optics
Photo by: Rama Creative Commons Not only does astronomy cover different branches of science, it also borrows concepts in fiber optics as well. Objective (optics) is also taken into account when it comes to science, or in this case, astronomy.
Rich Field Telescope
There are a lot of things that has been said about our galaxy. There is no doubt that increased magnification would give you a beautiful view of celestial bodies, the Moon, the planets and details of sky objects. To see them properly, a Rich field telescope would come in handy. This is a fast focal […]