Telescope

Who invented the telescope? Many people believe it was Galileo. Galileo did make some remarkable celestial discoveries with his telescope, but the first telescope was actually made by a Dutch spectacle maker named Hans Lippershey, in about 1600. The new telescopes were called “lookers”, “Dutch trunks”, “cylinders” and “perspectives”. Within a few years they were being made in France, Germany, England and Italy.

Telescopes have come a long way since the days of Lippershey and Galileo. The telescope Galileo used probably was not much more powerful than a set of today’s opera glasses. Now we have the amazing technology of the Hubble telescope with which to peer into deep space. Hubble telescope pictures continue to astound scientists. Nonetheless, the Hubble Space Telescope had its origins in those early days when inquisitive men like Galileo first used telescope eyes to study the night sky.

There are, of course, many makes and models of telescopes available in stores and on the internet. They range in price from the easily affordable to the very expensive. It’s a good idea to shop around and make comparisons before you actually buy one. The manufacturer’s literature will tell you all that is good about the product, but isn’t likely to point out any negatives. To get straightforward, unbiased opinions on telescopes and accessories, read the telescope reviews that are available on the Internet and in magazines like Sky and Telescope. They are written by people who share your interest in astronomy and who have used the equipment. They will tell you all the pros and cons so you can make an informed decision when you buy your telescope.

Meade telescopes have been around since 1972. The company has grown from a tiny mail order operation into one of the largest optics manufacturers in the United States. The Meade telescope provides American amateur astronomers with a top quality optic that is available at an affordable price. Meade’s line of telescopes includes the reflecting telescope. That is a telescope that uses a mirror to gather light and bring the image to the eyepiece. Reflectors provide excellent views of all types of sky objects: the moon, planets, star clusters, galaxies, etc. The drawback with these telescopes is that they tend to be bulky, making them awkward to move around and store. They also require periodic maintenance.

Orion telescopes have many great features. The Orion Argonaut 150mm EQ Maksutov-Cassegrain delivers exceptional high-power imaging performance on lunar, planetary and double-star subjects. The focusing is smooth, backlash-free, and gearless.

Discovery telescopes constantly draw good reviews from amateur astronomers. Very often the centre of attraction in a backyard star party is a Discovery telescope.

To find information on the Internet about American telescopes and accessories, try the search words: in telescope tripod usa.