Astrophotography

Astrophotography – the next step in Astronomy

After casually viewing the sky with your telescope, the next urge is to take pictures – Astrophotography. A camera, telescope, suitable mount, and software to process images are the key requirements to do astrophotography. Digital cameras are rapidly improving. Cell phone cameras are adequate for Moon, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn images.  But, most other deep… Continue Reading Astrophotography – the next step in Astronomy

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Eye Glasses

Telescopes and Corrective Eye Glasses

When looking through a telescope what is better, naked eye or corrective Eye Glasses? My usual answer is to keep your corrective Eye Glasses on.  Corrective / Prescription Eye Glasses correct for distance and astigmatism.  All images in a telescope are at infinity.  The telescope can be focused to compensate for individual distance vision differences.… Continue Reading Telescopes and Corrective Eye Glasses

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Messier, NGC, IC Catalogs - Messier 42 or NGC 1976

Messier, NGC, IC Catalogs : Keys to the Universe

Novices to amateur Astronomy are confronted early on with mysterious Messier, NGC, IC Catalogs alpha-numeric designations for the various deep sky wonders marked on star maps. Marked prominently on star charts are the Messier, NGC, IC Catalogs designations.  These are the catalogs compiled by Charles Messier (1720-1817) (M-Objects) and John L.E. Dreyer (1852-1926) (NGC-Objects and… Continue Reading Messier, NGC, IC Catalogs : Keys to the Universe

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Relativity test by NASA

Relativity is Over 100 Years Old and Still Going Strong

Albert Einstein published his Theory of General Relativity in 1915. In his revolutionary Theory of Relativity he broke away from Newtonian Physics and fused space, time, matter and energy into an inseparable malleable continuum with the speed of light as an absolute.  Newton had the physical meter and the temporal second as absolute immutable constants. … Continue Reading Relativity is Over 100 Years Old and Still Going Strong

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Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics

Astronomers have conquered the Earths atmosphere’s blurring effects on views of the Universe with Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics. In visible and near infrared wavelengths, Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics has proven to be effective at neutralizing the blurring effect of the ocean of air that is above our telescopes.  Previously, we were limited to… Continue Reading Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics

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