Chaotic Astronomy

What diffrerent types of telescopes are there and what are their different uses?
Just wondering cos there seem to be so many, there’s like telescopes in outerspace and enourmous ones down here on earth aswell as tiny ones you can buy in shops…

For astronomocal useage there are two types of telescopes, optical and radio.

Of the optical telescopes, there are two types also, reflecting and refracting.

Refracting telescopes are the common "tube" type telescopes that you look directly through and which have a lens on each end. Spyglasses and binoculars are made this way.

Reflecting (Newtonian) Telescopes have a curved mirror at the bottom end and use the mirror as a lens to magnify the received image. The advantage for big ’scopes is that the mirror is at the bottom so it is easier to build a support for it. The Hubble space telescope is a refracting telescope.

There is also a thrid kind of optical telescope that is sort of a combination of the other two that uses both mirrors and lenses.

In addition to ordinary optical telescopes there are also gamma ray and x ray telescopes that work on the extereme principles of refracting optical telescopes.

I’m currently an undergraduate materials engineering student and I’m very interested in pursuing graduate studies in astrophysics. Is it possible, or am I required to have an undergraduate degree in physics or astronomy? Most of my courses are physics related, and I took linear algebra, differential equations, and vector calculus. However, I didn’t take quantum mechanics (strangely) or relativity. I appreciate all answers, and please if you can give as much details as possible.

Check the web sites of the graduate schools of interest to you. Or write for information, or call. Each school is likely to have its own set of prerequisites. Sometimes they are quite specific, sometimes more vague. An example is shown below. Note that at this college, only two semesters of general Astronomy is required and that if you haven’t taken it as an undergraduate, you may take it as a graduate student but it won’t count toward your degree.

A discussion of what make the best first telescope. Learn buying tips for telescopes in this free home Astronomy equipment video from a telescope designer and manufacturer.

Expert: Bill Burgess
Bio: Bill Burgess is the owner and founder of Burgess Optical, which is world-renowned for its custom-built Telescopes and planetary eyepieces.
Filmmaker: Dimitri LaBarge

Duration : 0:1:16

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Technorati Tags: Astronomy, Expert, free, how, optics, science, Telescopes, to, Village

NASA Astronomy Pictures of the Week (3/2010).

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• http://www.youtube.com/Best0fScience
• http://www.youtube.com/ScienceMagazine
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► Eclipse over the Temple of Poseidon
The Moon moved to partly block the Sun for a few minutes last week as a partial solar eclipse became momentarily visible across part of planet Earth. In the above single exposure image, meticulous planning enabled careful photographers to capture the partially eclipsed Sun well posed just above the ancient ruins of the Temple of Poseidon in Sounio, Greece.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100118.html

► Dust Sculptures in the Rosette Nebula
Noted for the common beauty of its overall shape, parts of the Rosette Nebula, also known as NGC 2237, show beauty even when viewed up close. Visible above are globules of dark dust and gas that are slowly being eroded away by the energetic light and winds by nearby massive stars. Left alone long enough, the molecular-cloud globules would likely form stars and planets. The Rosette Nebula spans about 50 light-years across and lies about 4,500 light-years away.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091202.html

► Watch Jupiter Rotate
What would it be like to coast by Jupiter and watch it rotate? This was just the experience of the New Horizons spacecraft as it approached and flew by Jupiter. Visible above in the extensive atmosphere of the Solar System’s largest planet are bands and belts of light and dark clouds, as well as giant rotating storm systems seen as ovals. The robotic New Horizons spacecraft continues to speed toward the outer Solar System and has recently passed the halfway point between Earth and Pluto.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/astropix.html

► NGC 6992: Filaments of the Veil Nebula
Wisps like this are all that remain visible of a Milky Way star. About 7,500 years ago that star exploded in a supernova leaving the Veil Nebula, also known as the Cygnus Loop. At the time, the expanding cloud was likely as bright as a crescent Moon, remaining visible for weeks to people living at the dawn of recorded history. Today, the resulting supernova remnant has faded.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091201.html

► Dark Sand Cascades on Mars
They might look like trees on Mars, but they’re not. Groups of dark brown streaks have been photographed by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on melting pinkish sand dunes covered with light frost. The image was taken near the North Pole of Mars. At that time, dark sand on the interior of Martian sand dunes became more and more visible as the spring Sun melted the lighter carbon dioxide ice. When occurring near the top of a dune, dark sand may cascade down the dune leaving dark surface streaks — streaks that might appear at first to be trees standing in front of the lighter regions, but cast no shadows.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100119.html

► Eclipses in the Shade
Eclipses are everywhere in this shady scene. The picture was taken on the Indian Ocean atoll island of Ellaidhoo, Maldives, in January 2010, during the longest annular solar eclipse for the next 1,000 years. Tall palm trees provided the shade. Their many crossed leaves created gaps that acted like pinhole cameras, scattering recognizable eclipse images across the white sands of a tropical garden near the beach. From this idyllic location near the centerline of the Moon’s shadow track, the ring of fire or annular phase of the eclipse lasted about 10 minutes and 55 seconds.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100123.html

► Dust and the NGC 7771 Group
Some 200 million light-years distant toward the constellation Pegasus, NGC 7771 is the large, edge-on spiral near center, about 75,000 light-years across, with two smaller galaxies just below it. Large spiral NGC 7769 is seen face-on to the right. Galaxies of the NGC 7771 group are interacting, making repeated close passages that will ultimately result in galaxy-galaxy mergers on a cosmic timescale.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100121.html

► Millennium Annular Solar Eclipse
The Moon’s shadow raced across planet Earth on January 15. Observers within the central shadow track were able to witness an annular solar eclipse as the Moon’s apparent size was too small to completely cover the Sun. A visually dramatic ring of fire, the annular phase lasted up to 11 minutes and 8 seconds depending on location, the longest annular solar eclipse for the next 1,000 years. This picture of the Moon’s silhouette just before mid-eclipse was taken within the eclipse path from the city of Kanyakumari at the southern tip of India.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap100122.html

► Himalayan Skyscape
Capella, alpha star of the constellation Auriga, rises over Mt. Everest in this panoramic view of the top of the world at night.
• http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap091205.html
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Duration : 0:3:36

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Technorati Tags: Astronomy, cygnus, days, earth, eclipses, galaxies, jupiter, mars, mergers, milky, moons, NASA, nebula, ngc, orbiter, pegasus, pictures, planets, pluto, reconnaissance, rosette, science, solar, space, Suns, supernova, surface, Systems, Telescopes, universe, veil, way, weeks

Until now, the stargazer’s two biggest challenges to enjoying the night sky have been aligning their telescope and finding objects. Meade’s new ETX Premier Edition eliminates these two challenges and makes Astronomy as easy as pushing a button – right out of the box. Want to see a hard-to-find deep space galaxy? Simply push a button. The same goes for planets, stars, nebulae and more. Just pick an object you want to observe, press a button, and then AutoStar will automatically point your telescope and put it right in your eyepiece.

Don’t know what you want to see this evening? Go to the “Tonight’s Best” tour in your AutoStar. It automatically selects the best objects in the sky for that particular time and location (from its database of over 30, 000 celestial objects). All you need is a clear night, a dark sky and a little curiosity. Whether you already know the sky by heart, or are just beginning your journey of discovery, your Meade ETX-Premier Edition will take you where you want to go. Astronomy has never been so fun and rewarding.

Meade’s new ETX-Premier Edition automatically levels your telescope, points it to North and sets the time. You just enter your location or zip code. After your ETX completes its patented Level North automatic alignment procedure, it will point to the first alignment star. Use the new wide-field SmartFinder to center the red dot over the alignment stars for ultra-precise pointing accuracy. It’s that easy.

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Children often delight in exploring underneath things and slipping through narrow gaps and passages. This adventure kit will allow children to get away from prying eyes. Children can also climb up high to view the world from a different perspective. Features: – Consists of Stairs, Slide, Male Corner Tunnel, Female Corner Tunnel, Staight Tunnel and T-Shaped Crossroads Tunnel – Made from roto molded plastic – Use items on a mat (see ‘Related Items’) – For children ages 1 year and up -Floor Space: 112″” x 79″”

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A lot of discussion has been made over the years about the possible "faking" of the moon landings. I think I remember hearing about the use of high power telescopes, on earth and in space, to verify that the lunar lander platforms and flags are at the sites of the landings. If that is the case, are there pictures available? If this is not true, why hasn’t such a project been initiated?

nope.not at all Telescopes can not prove the moon landings they are not that powerful common sense

to the person above me the only thing a home telescope can see is the moon the moon is to bright to see a flag

Please if you could provide links. Also if there are any quality free courses please let me know.

I know the basics, but i want to learn much more. A course that covers a wide field regarding Astronomy would be great. Any recommendations?

MIT puts a great deal of their course materials online for free – you won’t get any credit from following along, but you can’t get that for free anyway.

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm

The advanced LNT Auto-align technology featured as standard equipment on LX90 and ETX-Premier models will be now integrated into Meade DS-2000 Telescopes. Just turn on the power and the telescope automatically finds level, senses precise north, and inputs (factory calibrated) time and date. Then it races to the first alignment-star automatically without any user inputs or interaction.

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This product is exclusive to the Discovery Channel Store.View the night sky as it would appear anywhere in the world with this motorized indoor planetarium. As seen on the Today Show!Project 88 constellations; 12 celestial objects including 8 planets Pluto and its moon CharonUses super bright bulbs to project over 600 starsSearchable database with over 600 star facts and mythsInteractive talking computer and backlit navigational screenFeatures five modes for a variety of Astronomy tours and settingsFeatures a one-hour timer so you can fall asleep under the starsIncludes AC power adaptor and 24-page full color instruction manualThis accurate computer-aided motorized planetarium transforms an ordinary room into a truly stellar display.Safety warning: This product contains small parts that may present a choking hazard for young children.

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