About Telescopes

About Telescopes - Viewing The Universe

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Astro Optics 6mm High Power .965" Telescope Eyepiece

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Astro Optics 8mm Deluxe .965" Telescope Eyepiece

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Astro Optics .965" Star Diagonal for Telescope

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15x32 Best Optics Spotting Scope Monocular Telescopes

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University Optics 40mm Konig II Telescope Eyepiece

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A telescope is simply a tool that enables people to see objects that are very far away - beyond the range of the normal eyesight. The word telescope is formed from two Greek words that combine to literally mean 'distant-seeing' (tele means 'far' and skopein means 'to see').

History credits Galileo with coining the term when he christened the instrument he refined and made popular - that could be used to observe distant planets - as the 'telescope'.

Going by the dictionary, though, the word telescope can be used to imply a wide variety of instruments that are designed to extend the range of our normal senses. However, all these "telescopes" have one common attribute. They collect electromagnetic radiation and manipulate it so as to be able to study and analyze in detail the source of the radiation and/or what the radiation (light, radio waves, etc.) has interacted with.

Most commonly, though, when speaking of telescopes it is usually in reference to the optical telescope. These shiny instruments, which range from hand held telescopes, to larger telescopes found in backyards and giant instruments located on top of mountains all collect visible light and use an array of mirrors and lenses to focus this light, permitting the viewer to clearly see and even photograph distant objects.

Optical telescopes can further be categorized as reflecting and refracting telescopes. The differences between these two types of telescopes are explained in detail in other pages of this website.

Additionally on this website the history of the telescope is traced. And a an account is given of how Galileo came up with the first refined telescope that he then used to study the heavens.

There are several different accessories pertaining to telescopes such as telescope eyepieces, telescope mounts, telescope covers, etc. which are detailed on other pages. Modern camera telescopes and the famous Hubble space telescope are also discussed here.

If you want to scan the night skies, you may want to build your own home telescope. See our page on building your own. Or you can always purchase a telescope from our telescope store, Viewing the Universe.

About the Author: Scott Harker is the publisher of several websites including: Sherlock Holmes Pastiches, Harvest The Sun | Making Biodiesel, Samurai Weapons, Naming the Baby, and the Spotlight on Science Blog.

Video About Telescopes, Galileo to SLOOH

http://slooh.com This video looks at Galileo's important work with the first telescope and includes an overview of the SLOOH robotic telescopes. Robotic telescopes are accessed and controlled using the Internet an incredible evolution of technology from Galileo's first telescopes.

News About Telescopes

It's a Cold Day for a Telescope Mirror - Discovery News 29 Jul 2010 at 1:43pm

PhysOrg.com
It's a Cold Day for a Telescope Mirror
Discovery News
NASA is gearing up to launch a pretty big telescope that will search for the universe's furthest galaxies, study the formation of stars, and look for the ...
New Space Telescope Mirrors Get Frosty TreatmentSpace.com

all 19 news articles »

Preparing the way for the SKA international radio telescope - Creamer Media's... 30 Jul 2010 at 5:34am

Preparing the way for the SKA international radio telescope
Creamer Media's Engineering News
The final decision on the siting of the instrument, which will be the biggest radio telescope ever built, is planned to be made in early 2012. ...
Scientific instruments can become objects of national pride and loveCreamer Media's Engineering News

all 3 news articles »

New Antenna on World's Largest Radio Telescope - Laboratory Equipment 30 Jul 2010 at 8:43am

New Antenna on World's Largest Radio Telescope
Laboratory Equipment
That spot is a platform suspended on cables 500 feet above the world's largest radio telescope, located at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, ...

NASA's Kepler Telescope Detects 150 Earth-Sized Worlds - Associated Content 27 Jul 2010 at 5:17pm

NEWS.com.au
NASA's Kepler Telescope Detects 150 Earth-Sized Worlds
Associated Content
It looks like According to CNN, astronomer Dimitar Sasselov recently announced that the Kepler Telescope, launched last year by NASA, has so far detected ...
Did Kepler Scientist Leak Data? Um, Not ReallyUniverse Today
Kepler Co-Investigator Spills The Beans: Lots of Earth-like PlanetsSpace Ref (press release)
140 Earth-like planets discovered in the Milky Way by KeplerZME Science (blog)
Helium -Times of India
all 129 news articles »

Scientists find 'monster' star using Very Large Telescope - AFP 21 Jul 2010 at 12:16pm