It has always amazed me that what we see in the night sky is from the past and not the present. And, I have always wanted to talk about it. When I see a star in the sky, it makes me wonder what would have been happening on Earth when this star was actually like…
The paraphernalia of telescopes – The Luxuries
Well, now what are these luxuries? These are the accessories that you would like to use in order to get an enhanced view of the objects you wish to see. Without these accessories, some celestial objects might seem faint or too small or false-colored. There might also be certain objects that might not be visible…
The paraphernalia of telescopes – The Indispensables
Just like any other instrument, accessories have been designed for telescopes too. Some accessories are indispensable while others are need-based enhancements. It is also worth noting that telescopes generally come pre-packaged with some accessories. So, it becomes an important factor when buying a telescope. We will see the various accessories, categorizing them as either Indispensable…
The Showdown – choosing your first telescope!
I know you would be excited to buy your first telescope. Well, I was. Or maybe you already did and are not happy with it or just want to add another arrow to your quiver. In this post, I will try to help you make a decision. Whether or not it is the right choice…
Catadioptric Telescopes | Good things come in small packages
You read about catoptric (reflecting) and dioptric (refracting) telescopes in the previous posts. Now, we will study the third kind – catadioptric. The term, as is evident, is a portmanteau of the former two terms (catoptric + dioptric = catadioptric), not just literally but also technically. A catadioptric telescope is one where refraction and reflection…
Reflecting Telescopes | Knights in shining armors
The refracting telescopes, in older days, suffered from severe chromatic aberration, which is now being dealt with in a variety of ways including better refractor designs.However, back in the 17th century, a new design arose that acted as an alternative to the refractor design, not suffering from chromatic aberration, owing to the fact that only…
Refracting Telescopes | The light benders
A refracting or refractor telescope is a type of telescope that uses a lens as its objective to form an image. Refracting telescopes are also referred to as dioptric (i.e. dealing with refraction of light, especially by lenses).[1] These were the earliest type of telescope used. In fact, all the startling discoveries that Galileo did,…
The physics behind telescopes – Rudiments of Telescopes
As mentioned before, choosing a good telescope is important in order to get started on stargazing. And, in order to choose one, it is pertinent that we study the fundamentals of a telescope. Then we will see the different types of telescopes. Well, to begin with, binocular is not a bad option. Although I haven’t…
The physics behind telescopes – Optical Elements
Telescopes are made up of more elements than you might think. Let’s first study the different optical elements used today. I will keep the definitions as close as possible to the ones used in astronomical telescopes or even telescopes in general. Lens Lens is an optical element which converges or diverges light. A simple lens…
The physics behind telescopes – Fundamentals of Optics
Before we get into the length and breadth of telescopes, let’s delve into the field of science that forms the core of these instruments – Optics. Many of you might have studied this science in high school and/or higher studies like me. Many might also need some brushing up of memory, again just like me….
Same old sky, but a whole new perspective
I am sure there is not a single person who is not fascinated by the mystical macrocosm that we live in and I am no exception. As a child, I always dreamed of being an astronaut just so that I could go into space (well, who doesn’t?), not even knowing what it really means to…
Sky Gazette 