Optics

Planetarium software for telescope users and lay astronomers help viewers explore the sky. Learn about planetarium programs that help local telescope viewers from an observatory director in this...

Home telescopes can see many galaxies and star clusters, but images will not be as profound as space telescope images. Find out what a home telescope can reasonably hope to see from an observatory...

Use a telescope far from city lights and light pollution to see stars, but view meteors with the naked eye. Get tips on viewing meteor showers and observing starry skies with a telescope from an...

The internet can help telescope enthusiasts have fun exploring the night sky, seeing satellites or keeping up with astronomy. Learn internet resources for home telescope viewing from an...

Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes can collect frost or dew on viewing plates, but simple heating devices can keep viewing crystal clear. Care for Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes with an observatory...

Telescopes with fork equatorial mounts rotate to follow the arc of the sun, not in straight lines. Learn how to use equatorial mounts for a telescope from an observatory director in this free...

Telescopes can feature different eyepieces that change magnification and viewing options during telescope use. Learn different eyepieces for telescope viewing from an observatory director in this...

Clean telescope lenses and mirrors only every few years and never use a T-shirt or finger to wipe viewing surfaces. Maintain a telescope in working order with an observatory director in this free...

Use a telescope to see the Messier Objects or take in planets and moons as they trace the ecliptic arc. Observe the stars with a telescope alongside an observatory director in this free astronomy...

Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes use mirrors and lenses to form a telescope incorporating Newtonian mirrors and a redirecting lens. Study Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes with an observatory director in...

Telescopes that follow the design made by Sir Isaac Newton were coined Newtonian and have finding telescopes attached. Study Newtonian telescopes with an observatory director in this free...

Star charts and star wheels help home telescope users find and identify stars in the night sky. Learn to use star charts for telescope viewing from an observatory director in this free astronomy...

Try red lights and binoculars when telescope viewing to keep up night vision and home in on star clusters. Use tools that help telescope observations with an observatory director in this free...

The parts of telescope can differ in varying telescope designs, but they work by using mirrors or lenses as reflectors or refractors to magnify light. Learn the parts of a basic telescope from an...