MeteorShowers.NET

 

A telescope is perhaps the most essential accessory for any astronomer, bird watcher, or other type of individual who wants to see distant objects more clearly.  Astronomy telescopes come in a variety of shapes and sizes.  Telescopes in general have become more sophisticated and durable over the years. These days, you can purchase a very functional and durable telescope for five hundred dollars or less.

 

Refractor telescopes are useful for viewing nearby objects, such as the moon and planets.  Depending on the eyepiece, a refractor can provide a much larger and clearer picture of these kinds of objects than other kinds of scopes.  A reflector telescope (also called a Netwonian telescope) uses a set of mirrors to amplify the image and the amount of light collected.  The reflectors are more useful for those who want to discover deep space objects. 

 

A special type of reflector is the Dobsonian, which has one small mirror supported across from the eyepiece, and a larger mirror at the base of the telescope. The large mirror allows the scope to collect more light than traditional refractors or reflectors.  Dobsonian telescopes are especially useful for viewing deep space objects, and are usually priced lower than other kinds of scopes because they require fewer mechanical parts.

 

If you want to get technical, you can get a view finder for your telescope.  View finders mount right onto your telescope, and allow you to view a wider field at lower magnification so that you can center specific objects for viewing in the telescope''s eyepiece.

 

Also available are CCD cameras  and tracking systems for telescopes, which allow the user to take night-sky photos using time-elapsed photography.