Telescopes
How to collimate a telescope
July 16, 2015 | View ScopeBy collimating your reflector you are fine tuning your viewing experience. The process of collimation involves lining up all the mirrors of your telescope so that the reflected light is directed directly up the focus tube to your eye
How to Make a Solar Filter
July 15, 2015 | View Scope | One CommentThe summer time is not a great time for stargazing, the nights are very short and the it does not get dark until very late.
However I decided to use this as an opportunity to do some solar gazing.
It is a … Continue reading
A Change of Tact!
July 5, 2014 | View ScopeI have been away from this blog and astronomy in truth for a while, For the last 9 months I have been embroiled in the most frustrating undertaking someone can embark on, Buying a House!. Unfortunately this has taken up … Continue reading
Finding E.T.
January 27, 2014 | View ScopeFound Him!!
If it only was that easy, The search for ET is one that has consumed mankind for centuries. This search has intensified in recent years with the growing number of Exo-Planets being discovered and it is only going … Continue reading
Getting Started with Deep Sky Astrophotography
April 18, 2013 | View ScopeWhen I was deciding which telescope to purchase I had read a lot of articles that suggested for novices something on an azimuth mount would be a good place to start. This kind of mount would allow you to simply … Continue reading
My First Telescope
January 12, 2013 | View Scope | One CommentWell it has arrived after a long agonising wait over Christmas and having the FedEx tracking website on constant refresh, my new telescope (Skywatcher 150p)Â arrived yesterday evening and what an awesome piece of kit it is. Below I am going to go through the setup and what I can remember of it as well as my first experiences using the telescope.
Mounting Pressure
November 14, 2012 | View Scope | One CommentChoosing the right mount for your telescope is every bit as important as choosing the right telescope. A good mount will allow you scope to remain steady and really enhance your viewing pleasure. Below I will run through some of the common types of mounts available. Read More
The Importance of Eyepieces
October 24, 2012 | View ScopeWhile researching my first telescope I have learned the importance of the individual components of the scope. One thing that interested me was the ability to swap eyepieces for your telescope.
Essentially this allows you to alter your field of view and magnification levels on the fly.
My Search For My First Telescope
October 11, 2012 | View ScopeWhat prompted me to start this blog was the flood of information I got when researching my first telescope. At the moment I don’t have one and to be honest I am still learning all about the different components and capabilities on offer.
A few things considerations I have are,
1. This is most definitely a starter scope, I am not interested in spending thousands of pounds on a telescope (yet!)
2. I would like to be able to capture some photographs of the night sky without too much extra investment.
3. Needs to be relatively portable, in that I will be bringing it in and out of the house.
4. Not concerned with using the telescope for land viewing.
Focal Ratio (f)
October 7, 2012 | View ScopeThe focal ratio is the relationship between the diameter of the main optic (aperture) and the focal length. Lets use a Skywatcher Explorer 130 for the next example, the 130 signifies the aperture of the telescope and the length of this telescope is 650 so our focal ratio would be 650/130 = 5, so our f number would be f/5.
