Learning About Telescopes

• Galileo's actual drawing of the moons of Jupiter and how they change position from night to night. These drawings changed humanity's view of the universe and our place in it.
• New: What does "astronomical telescope" mean? There are difference between a telescope for astronomy and a telescope for terrestrial viewing.
• A look at telescope eyepieces - an easy overview of what they are and where to get one.
• About telescope lenses - This is a quick look at lenses and eyepieces, the difference between the two and where to get a telescope lens.
• Children's Telescopes - I don't just give you a bunch of telescopes for kids. I give you some great advice on what astronomy is for kids, how to make it enriching and how to avoid a child losing interest in a telescope.
• The irony of telescope size and Beginners - There is a correlation between small telescopes and quick loss of interest. And there is also a correlation between large telescopes and quick loss of interest! I explain it here.
• So the telescope has been sitting in the garage for a year now - This is something that happens often. Why does it happen and what can you do about it?
• The two basic types of telescope mounts: Equatorial and alt-azimuth. A look and explanation with benefits of each type. Including a video that shows you
• What is a refractor telescope? An easy to understand explanation of this type of telescope
• The Parts of a Reflector Telescope - includes pictures and explanation of all the common components.
• Why is the eyepiece on the side of some telescopes? Wondering about why telescopes vary wildly in their design?
• A Guide to Orion Telescopes
• A Guide to Meade Telescopes
• Online Telescopes -

Learning About Astronomy

• Almanac of Night Sky Objects - Find the best objects in the night sky
• Astronomy with Binoculars - Binoculars are an excellent way to begin your pursuit of astronomy. You can really see some wonders without a telescope
• A Tour through the universe for casual astronomers
• About Meteor Showers and how to watch them
• Astronomy Activities - Here is a selection of activities for both adults and children of various ages. They include things like make a small telescope to making a nebula in a bottle.
• Book Review: The Telescope Makers

Purchasing Guidelines and help

• Astronomy magazine subscriptions - This is one of the best ways to keep up to date on the ever changing night sky.
• The Celestron SkyScout and the Meade MySky - Electronics help for locating thousands of objects in the night sky.
• Buying a first telescope? Here are some guidelines and recommendations
• Check out eBay for used telescope bargains - An ebay listing right here on this site.
• Find a telescope store of both the brick & mortar type and online
• Analysis and review of some of the more popular makers of astronomical telescopes
• Will's Astronomy and Telescope Store - Right here on this site
• Astronomy for Dummies - This is a good introductory book that covers both the science of astronomy and the practice of observing the night sky All about the book and where you can buy it
• Astronomy gifts - Here I have a hand-picked selection of gifts for the astronomer in your life. They include the most important image ever taken, a tie and a coffee mug.
• Astronomy Software - There is lots of amazing and free software available for observing the night sky on your computer.

Video Articles

• A look at the two different types of telescope mounts: The basic alt-azimuth and the more advanced equatorial
• How a refractor telescope works: A basic look at the concepts of this type of telescope
• How to Make a telescope - I make a 4 1/4 inch telescope and I take you through the process step by step.
• How to make an eight inch reflector telescope. This tutorial is on my youtube channel here