Astronomy Equipment

Binoculars
If you are looking to get started with amateur astronomy, binoculars are the ideal instruments for
the beginner. Their low cost makes them affordable to almost anyone. Binoculars are available
in a variety of sizes and magnifications. Because of their wide field of view, they are also a
necessary and popular tool for the experienced astronomer as well. Binocular sizes are
expressed with two numbers, such as 7x35 and 10x50. The first number is the power, or
magnification. A pair of 7x35 binoculars will magnify the image 7 times. The second number
represents the aperture size, or diameter of the objective (front) lenses in millimeters. When
selecting binoculars for astronomical viewing, larger apertures are always better. Choose the
largest aperture you can afford and comfortably hold on to. Larger apertures will yield brighter
images, but they will also be heavier. If the binoculars are a bit too heavy to support for long
periods, most can be mounted onto a camera tripod. Make sure you get a pair with a tripod
mount. As far as magnification goes, smaller is usually better, believe it or not. Binoculars with
high magnifications will be shakier when held in the hands. This can become annoying during
an evening of observing. Again, sturdy tripod will help to alleviate this problem. Some
astronomy suppliers carry devices that can help stabilize the binoculars by propping them up
against your body. Lower magnification will also provide a wider field of view. The best advice
for choosing a pair of binoculars is to get what you feel comfortable with. Remember you may
want to use them for bird watching or camping as well.

Telescopes

Newtonian Reflector
The reflector telescope (also referred to as a Newtonian after the astronomer Sir Isaac Newton)
is the most common type of large-aperture telescope. A reflector focuses light by using mirrors.
It is essentially a hollow tube with a large mirror at one end and a smaller mirror at the other
end. The smaller mirror reflects the image through an eyepiece located on the side of the tube.
Since reflectors do not contain glass lenses, they are lightweight and inexpensive to
manufacture. This simple design provides tremendous light-collecting capability at low costs.
Reflectors are the least expensive type of telescope per aperture size. They are also quite easy
to make. Many amateur astronomers consider making their own telescope as somewhat as a
rite of passage. Although they are not as good as refractors for planetary observing, reflectors
are ideal for observing faint deep-sky objects such as nebulae and galaxies. The mirrors require
frequent alignment for optimal viewing, but can easily be adjusted. Since they have no glass
lens on the front of the tube, reflectors are not as susceptible to dew as other telescopes. They
can be used on both the equatorial mount as well as the Dobsonian mount. Due to their low
cost, Newtonian reflectors are a good choice for someone just starting out in astronomy.

Refractor
Refractor telescopes can usually be distinguished by their long, narrow tubes. Unlike reflectors,
refracting telescopes use a series of lenses to focus the image. The weight of the glass lenses,
in addition to the length of the tube, limits refractors to small apertures. Refractors with
apertures larger than 4 inches can be quite expensive and also quite large. These telescopes
are almost exclusively used with equatorial mounts. The advantage of the refractor is in its
ability to provide a sharp image with a lot of detail. This makes them ideal for lunar and
planetary observing and photography. Their small aperture size means they are not quite as
well suited for deep-sky observing. For the beginner interested primarily in the planets, they can
make a good choice. Due to their design, however, they are much more expensive than their
Newtonian reflector counterparts. If you are more interested in galaxies and nebulae, you will
probably be better off going with a reflector.

Schmidt-Cassegrain
The Schmidt-Cassegrain is a relatively new design that manages to catch the best of both
worlds. It contains elements of both the reflector and the refractor. This design uses two mirrors
to bounce the light up and down the tube and then through an opening in the back where the
eyepiece is located. The front of the tube contains a glass lens known as the corrector plate.
Light enters through the corrector plate where it strikes the primary mirror in the back of the
tube. It is then reflected to a small secondary mirror attached to the front corrector plate. From
there it is then reflected through a small hole in the back of the primary mirror. Because the light
path is essentially folded in half, the tube is much shorter than it would be in a reflector of the
same aperture size. Schmidt-Cassegrains have become increasingly popular with amateur
astronomers because of their small tube size to aperture ratio. With their motorized fork mounts,
these telescopes are ideal for astrophotography. They cost a little more than reflectors, but
much less than a refractor of the same aperture size. These telescopes are popular in 8 and 10-
inch apertures, and can be found as large as 14 inches. Many of the newer models have built-in
computers that can locate objects by entering their coordinates onto a keypad. The Schmidt-
Cassegrain is a great all-around performer for both planetary and deep-sky observing.
Telescope Mounts

Equatorial Mount
The equatorial mount is the most common type of mount available with today's telescopes. It is
pretty much standard with both reflectors and refractors. This mount consists of two
perpendicular axes. One axis rotates the telescope in Right Ascension (R.A.), and the other
controls Declination (Dec.). When the R.A. axis is aligned parallel to the Earth's axis, objects
can be tracked by adjusting slow motion controls that move the mount on the R.A. axis. These
mounts are available with motors attached to the R.A. axis that enable automatic tracking of
objects in the sky. To accomplish this, the mount will rotate the telescope in the opposite
direction as the rotation of the Earth. This allows an object to remain centered in the telescope
for prolonged periods of time. These mounts also contain coordinate markings called setting
circles. These coordinates enable objects to be located by their celestial coordinates using the
R.A. and Dec. setting circles.
Fork Mount
The fork mount is really a modification of the equatorial mount. It is used primarily with Schmidt-
Cassegrain telescopes. The fork is designed as a heavy-duty mount that can support a large
amount of weight. Telescopes that use these mounts are generally very heavy, due to their
large aperture lenses and mirrors. The fork mount allows the telescope to swing between the
arms of the fork to adjust the Declination (Dec.) setting. The fork itself rotates on its axis to
adjust the Right Ascension (R.A.) settings. Setting circles allow objects to be "dialed-up"
according to their coordinates after the mount has been properly aligned with the Earth's axis.
Fork mounts usually always contain motors, which allow automatic tracking of objects by
correcting for the Earth's rotation. Some of the more advanced
fork mounted systems today also contain a computer interface,
which allows the telescope to find an object by simply entering
its coordinates into a keypad.
Dobsonian Mount
The third type of telescope mount is known as the Dobsonian
mount. This is actually a version of the altazimuth mount
typically used on camera tripods. It was developed by John
Dobson in the 1970s and was designed as a low-cost, easy-to-
use mount for large Newtonian telescopes. Dobsonian mounts
are generally constructed of wood and sit low to the ground.
They are easy to build, which makes them a favorite of the do-it-
yourself telescope maker. These mounts are ideal for large
telescopes because they are strong and sturdy. They can also be easily moved and adjusted
from the eyepiece end (front) of a large Newtonian reflector. The disadvantage of this mount is
that it is not possible to track objects as can be done with the equatorial and fork mounts. This
makes them unsatisfactory for astrophotography. Dobsonian mounts are typically used by those
who observe galaxies and other deep-sky objects with their large Newtonian telescopes.

Telescope Eyepieces

The eyepiece is the part of the telescope that focuses the image to your eye. Eyepieces can
also be used to magnify the image up to several hundred times. However, it is important to
remember that as you magnify an image, you will lose sharpness, detail, and brightness.
Beginners are always tempted to magnify that image of Jupiter or Saturn until it is a large as
possible in the field of view. The more experienced observer learns that there is often more
detail to be seen in a smaller, brighter image. Magnifying the image also reduces your field of
view, basically the area you can see through the eyepiece. When observing large objects such
as nebulae or star clusters, a wide field of view is needed. Special wide field eyepieces are also
available. These eyepieces can provide a nice, bright image full of details on large objects.
Eyepieces are labeled by their focal length, in millimeters. Typical sizes are 25mm, 17mm,
10mm, and so on. To determine the magnification of an eyepiece you simply divide the focal
length of the telescope by that of the eyepiece. For example, if the focal length of your
telescope were 1000mm, then a 25mm eyepiece would give you a magnification of 40 times.
The smaller the focal length rating of the eyepiece, the higher the magnification. Again, it is
recommended that beginners start out with a few low-power eyepieces at first. Many people are
disappointed at how bad the image actually looks with at high magnifications. Low-power
eyepieces also make objects easier to find, due to their wider field of view. Work your way up to
higher power after you have a little experience under your belt. A low-cost device useful for
gaining additional magnification is the barlow lens. This is a long tube with a lens in it that
extends the focal length of the eyepiece and increases the magnification by a factor of 2 or 3.
For example, a 2x barlow lens used with our 25mm eyepiece from the example above will
increase our magnification from 40x to 80x. The image quality is not quite as good as what you
would get with a 12.5mm eyepiece by itself. But adding a barlow lens is an affordable way to
effectively double the number of eyepieces in your collection.
Filters

Eyepiece Filters
Several different types of filters are available for use with telescope eyepieces. These filters
generally work by blocking wavelengths of light that may be interfering with the object you are
trying to view. Light pollution filters work by blocking the scattered light from mercury vapor
lights and other terrestrial light sources. Colored filters can both block unwanted wavelengths of
light and enhance details in an object. For example, observing the planet Mars through a red
filter will increase the contrast of the image and make surface details easier to see. A yellow or
blue filter will make the Martian polar ice caps more visible. Observing the planet Jupiter
through a yellow, blue, or green filter will enhance the details in the cloud bands and make the
famous red spot easier to see. These filters are not very expensive. You may want to consider
investing in a set of 4 to 6 assorted color filters when your budget can handle it. If you do your
observing from areas that are plagued by light pollution, you may want to get yourself a good
light pollution filter as well.
Solar Filters
Solar filters are specially designed to allow safe viewing of the Sun. They are typically available
in two different styles. The first style is the eyepiece filter. These filters fit directly onto the
eyepiece and are typically included with some low-priced telescopes. Because of the intense
amount of heat that can build up at the point of focus, these filters are considered to be quite
unsafe. They can crack, allowing a sudden rush of light and searing heat into the eye. Eyepiece
solar filters should be avoided at all cost! The second style of solar filter is known as the full-
aperture filter. These filters fit directly over the aperture of the telescope. Since they block the
light at the point where the light initially enters the telescope, they are much safer if used
correctly. Full-aperture filters are available in two types. The first type is the optical glass filter.
These filters are made from darkened glass that blocks almost all of the light from the Sun. The
image rendered by these filters is generally very good. They deliver a natural yellow-orange
look to the Sun and provide a comfortable and safe viewing experience. These filters can
become quite expensive, however. For large apertures of 6 inches or more, the cost of the filter
can easily exceed a hundred dollars. The second type of full-aperture solar filter is the mylar
filter. As the name implies, mylar filters are made of reflective sheets of mylar. The advantage of
these filters is their low cost. Mylar filters can be obtained for about one third the cost of their
optical glass cousins. The disadvantage of mylar filters is that they render an unnatural blue or
green image to the Sun. If you are planning on observing and
photographing the Sun, purchase the best filter your budget can
afford.
IMPORTANT: never look directly at the Sun without the use an
approved solar filter. Sunlight through a telescope can severely
burn your eyes and cause permanent blindness if an approved
solar filter is not used.

Star Charts
You wouldn't go on a road trip without a street map. Likewise, it is much
easier to find your way around the night sky if you carry a set of star
charts in some form or other. There are two main types of star charts.
Planispheres, sometimes called star finders or star and planet locators,
have a round center that allows you to dial in your local date and time in
order to display a correct rendering of the evening sky. They usually only show that
constellations and brighter stars in the sky. Static star charts are much more detailed and will
list thousands of stars as well as deep sky objects according to their coordinated in the sky.
Both types can be obtained from astronomy suppliers. Planispheres
can also be found at many bookstores and hobby shops.
Flashlights
Getting around in the dark can be difficult at best. But you won't be very
popular around your peers if you go shining bright lights in their eyes.
Fortunately there is a solution. A flashlight with a red lens will allow you
to find your way around without ruining your night vision. It takes the
average person between 15 and 20 minutes for their vision to fully
adapt to the low levels of light. A bright light can send you back to the
starting point. All astronomy supply companies offer a number of styles and designs. Many are
waterproof, which will help extend the life of your flashlight on those
moist, dewy evenings when the humidity is high.
Carrying Cases
Carrying cases are a must for keeping your equipment organized and
free of dirt and moisture. Many types of cases for your equipment can
be obtained from a number of sources. Camera shops usually carry
plastic cases that have die-cut foam inside that can be cut and
rearranged to fit your equipment. Most astronomy supply companies
also offer cases and carrying bags that are more specially tailored. At
many department stores you can find canvas camera bags with adjustable dividers inside. Shop
around and find what works best for you.