By Dr. James Dire Having been an astronomy professor for several decades, an amateur astronomer for several more, an experienced astrophotographer, and a reviewer of myriad telescopes, mounts, astronomical software and other equipment, I am commonly asked to give recommendations on the best telescopes for beginners, the best telescope for […]
AstroGoods is now offering an upgrade for Dobsonian telescope owners who have small 5″ or 5.5″ factory installed altitude bearings and want larger ones without the need for making new cutouts in the side boards of their mount. These new replacement 12-inch bearings offer a virtually drop in option that […]
It’s hard to deny the impact that John Dobson had on the amateur astronomy hobby. His introduction of the Dobsonian telescope to the world in the late 60’s in combination with his grassroot outreach efforts through the creation of the Sidewalk Astronomers forever changed the landscape of our hobby. Below […]
Astronomers can get pretty finicky about cleanliness, especially when it comes to their telescope optics. The reality is that dust is everywhere and it is next to impossible to keep it entirely off a telescope’s optics. However, you don’t have to allow dust to settle on your optics between observing […]
Sky-Watcher’s Stargate truss-tube Dobsonian telescopes offer serious aperture for those looking to sail farther into the depths of the cosmos in big – and even bigger – deep-sky-gobbling apertures of 18 and 20 inches. For those stepping up from the 12-inch instruments, the 18-inch Stargate captures more than twice the […]
Mike Zammit, owner of StarStructure Telescopes, is relocating his telescope manufacturing facilities to a new dark sky area located 2.5 acres in south-west Inverness Florida next to the Citrus Wildlife management area. At the new facility, Mike will continue to create custom built Truss Dobsonian telescopes that are built to […]
Sky-Watcher USA’s new Stargate truss-tube Dobsonian telescopes offer serious aperture for those looking to sail farther into the depths of the cosmos in big deep-sky-gobbling apertures of 18 and 20 inches. For those stepping up from the 12-inch instruments, the 18-inch Stargate captures more than twice the light, and for […]
Sky-Watcher’s new Stargate truss-tube Dobsonian telescopes offer serious aperture for those looking to sail farther into the depths of the cosmos in big – and even bigger! – deep-sky-gobbling apertures of 18 and 20 inches. For those stepping up from the 12-inch instruments, the 18-inch Stargate captures more than twice […]
By Sean Melehan: Sean is an Associate Editor at Astronomy Technology Today and is an amateur astronomer who lives on LakeMacquarie, NSW, Australia, with his wife Sarah-Kate and daughter Savannah-Rose. Deep sky observing is Sean’s burning interest, and he loves nothing better than to sketch at the eyepiece. He is […]
Sometimes it’s just easier to show someone how to do something than it is to tell them, and telescope collimation is a perfect example. Indeed, most astronomy enthusiasts are primarily visual learners for whom showing will always be more effective than telling. If you’re like us, you’ve often found yourself […]
By Dr. James R. Dire Dr. James Dire has an M.S. in physics from the University of Central Florida and a M.A. and Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University, both in planetary science and is an associate provost at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Spring, N.C., and a professor of physics […]
3D printing, or additive manufacturing, has the potential of revolutionizing every industry whose products incorporate physical components, by delivering mass customization and eliminating cost-prohibitive set up and production complexity. It was only a matter of time before the benefits of 3D printing were deployed in the manufacture of custom telescopes […]