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Telescope Home Preface 1. Telescope Story 2. Telescope Story #2 3. Materials + Equipment 4. Mirror Grinding 5. The Pitch Lap 6. Polishing + Testing 7. The Paraboloid 8. The Paraboloid #2 9. The Diagonal 10. The Diagonal #2 11. Tube Parts 12. Tube Parts #2 13. Eyepieces + Problems 14. The Mounting 15. The Mounting #2 16. Aluminizing + Cleaning 17. Setting Circles 18. Optical Principles 19. Optical Principles #2 20. Second Telescope 21. Second Telescope #2 Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C |
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Stargazing On A Budget - Make Your Very Own Astronomy Telescope!
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From the desk of: Alan Dodd
Fellow Astronomer,
I set this website up because I absolutely love astronomy. I study everything from the smallest star to planets and eclipses. However, until recently, star gazing was out of my league. I couldn't afford a telescope. That's why I want to share this website with as many people as possible.
Since you've found this website I'm assuming you love star gazing as much as I do. The truth is, I'm always on the internet looking for astronomy information and telescope innovations. While doing some research, I stumbled upon a fantastic manuscript by Mr Allyn J Thompson.
Mr Thompson is one of the most accomplished and well-known telescope makers of all time.. I noticed that most of his work was available online with the exception of one of the most important pieces of work, 'Making Your Own Telescope'. Even though it was first published in 1947, this book has the best telescope making information I have ever seen.
In the 15 chapters, here's just a snippet of what is covered:
- The story of the telescope - discover what was first used to view the stars, the moon and 5 other planets.
- Full instructions on how to assemble each section step by step.
- Insider information on how to 'grind the lens' and spherical surfaces on the glass. This is a very specialized technique.
- Where to find all the materials and tools you'll need to build your telescope.
- The pitch lap¡ªthis can be a bit dangerous, so you'll be shown the correct and safe way to do it.
- How to test, correct and polish¡ªat this stage you'll have to be very precise so as to get the mirrors just right.
- How the 'Paraboloid' works and how to get the angles right. Discover how to get the curve to its correct 'sphere.'
If this is the kind of information that you have been looking for, here's the good news...
I have contacted the original copyright owners and gained permission to republish Mr Allyn J Thompson's complete work on this website. Although I had to pay to have the manuscript reformatted and published online, astronomy is my passion. Therefore, I want to share this book with as many people as possible for free.
The information is second to none and you'll soon be gazing at the stars through your very own telescope.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Cheers and Happy Stargazing
Alan Dodd
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Usually we think of binoculars as only to be used for bird watching or for hunting or for trying to see your favorite rock star at a concert when you are in the nose bleed section, but these are not binoculars that are designed mainly for astronomical viewing. If you are just starting out, do your research and evaluate your options and I believe that you will see that a good quality astronomy binocular beats out an entry level telescope of similar optical quality every time.
Refractor Telescopes For The Serious Backyard Astronomer
There are basically 2 kinds of telescopes - reflector telescopes and refractor telescopes. As their names suggest, the reflector uses mirrors to reflect incoming light back to the eyepiece, while refractor uses lenses to refract or bend the light towards the eyepiece. This kind of telescope is the most common type of telescope for the amateur astronomer, and they are very good telescopes, but like anything else you might consider buying, there are always pros and cons.
The Pros and Cons of Choosing a Reflector Telescope
There are two basic kinds of telescopes for the backyard observer, reflector and refractor, and they differ in the way they gather and focus light onto the eyepiece. The type discussed in this article will be the reflector telescopes.
Comet Lovejoy - A Solar Survivor
Comet Lovejoy is also known as C/2011 W3. It's a periodic comet that was discovered by Terry Lovejoy, an amateur astronomer. As a Kreutz Sungrazer it has defied the odds and survived to become a possible Great Comet.
Can Black Holes Evaporate?
While there is a constant transfer of matter and radiant electromagnetic energy (photons) between bodies throughout the cosmos, there are sinks, ultimate final resting places where matter/energy can retire to and be removed from the rest of the cosmos. These cosmic sinks are Black Holes. But is that retirement permanent, or can stuff re-enter the cosmic workforce? Can Black Holes evaporate? The theoretical short answer is "yes"; the long answer is "no".
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