Telescopes - Blog Posts
Science and Mechanics (1959)
Fall 2023 Public Events
Our next round of public events starts in September - here's the schedule (each event is weather-dependent, so always check back to see if the event is on!):
Public Nights on Wednesdays: - Sept. 27, 7:30 - 9:00 pm - Oct. 4, 11, and 18, 7:00 - 8:30 pm - Nov. 1, 7:00 - 8:30 pm - Nov. 8 and 15, 6:00 - 7:30 pm
Special Daytime Event: Oct. 14 Partial Solar Eclipse! 10:30 am - 2:45 pm
Halloween Events! - Oct. 25, 7:00 - 8:30 pm - Rain Date 1: Oct. 26, 7:00 - 8:30 pm (only occurs if Oct. 25 doesn't) - Rain Date 2: Oct. 30, 7:00 - 8:30 pm (only occurs if both Oct. 25 and 26 do not)
During our events, we set up telescopes and find objects in the sky for our visitors to see. We talk astronomy, too! Our events are free, open to the public, and appropriate for all ages.
NASA’s beloved space telescopes: HUBBLE, TESS, WEBB, KEPLER & SPITZER l Exoplanet Travel Bureau
You might be a Ravenclaw when...
Just like the James Webb Space Telescope continues to amaze us with its breathtaking views of the cosmos, many of you are likely looking to embark on your own astronomical adventures right here on Earth. But with so many telescope options available, knowing where to start can feel like navigating a vast nebula!
That's why we're thrilled to bring you the highlights from the TelescopeAdvisor Awards 2025! The experts at TelescopeAdvisor.com have just unveiled their definitive list of the best telescopes of the year, meticulously tested and curated to help you choose the perfect instrument to unlock the wonders of the night sky.
Inspired by the clarity and precision of JWST, these award-winning telescopes span a range of categories and budgets, ensuring there's a stellar option for everyone, from curious beginners to seasoned astrophotographers.
Ready to discover your next telescope? Let's dive into some of the cosmic champions of 2025!
Meet the Award Winners: Your Gateway to the Universe
The TelescopeAdvisor team, along with valuable input from the stargazing community, has rigorously evaluated countless telescopes. Here are some of the standout winners you need to know about:
🏆 Best for Beginners: Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ
New to stargazing? This telescope is your perfect launchpad! The Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ makes finding celestial objects incredibly easy with its innovative smartphone app integration. Its 130mm aperture provides bright views of the Moon, planets, and even some deep-sky treasures. Say goodbye to confusing star charts and hello to effortless exploration!
Learn More About the Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ at TelescopeAdvisor.com
💰 Best Budget Scope: Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ
You don't need a fortune to witness the beauty of Saturn's rings or the Orion Nebula! The Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ proves that fantastic views are within reach. Its 127mm aperture and equatorial mount offer impressive performance for under $200, making it a top pick for budget-conscious stargazers.
Discover the Affordability and Power of the Celestron PowerSeeker 127EQ
📸 Astrophotography Ace: Celestron NexStar Evolution 8
Dreaming of capturing your own stunning images of galaxies and nebulae? The Celestron NexStar Evolution 8 is a powerhouse for astrophotography. Its 8-inch aperture gathers ample light, and the precise GoTo mount with Wi-Fi control makes tracking and capturing long exposures a breeze.
Explore the Astrophotography Capabilities of the Celestron NexStar Evolution 8
⭐ People's Choice: Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ
Voted by the stargazing community itself, the Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ offers a winning combination of performance and value. Its 114mm reflector provides crisp views of planets and star clusters, making it a beloved choice among amateur astronomers.
See Why the Celestron AstroMaster 114EQ is the People's Choice!
More Award-Winning Highlights:
Best for Deep-Sky Viewing: Sky-Watcher Dobsonian 10 - For those chasing faint galaxies and nebulae.
Best for Kids: Celestron FirstScope 76 - Simple, durable, and perfect for young explorers.
Best Portable: Celestron Inspire 80AZ - Lightweight and ready for stargazing on the go.
Ready to See the Full List of Award Winners?
Head over to TelescopeAdvisor.com to explore all 10 award-winning telescopes and the 20 honorable mentions, complete with detailed reviews and buying information.
Your Guide to Choosing the Right Award Winner
The TelescopeAdvisor Awards 2025 categorize telescopes to help you find the best fit for your interests and experience level. Consider these questions as you explore the winners:
Are you a beginner? Look for the "Best for Beginners" or user-friendly honorable mentions.
Are you on a budget? The "Best Budget" winner offers incredible value.
Are you interested in taking photos of space? The "Astrophotography Ace" is a great starting point.
Do you want to see faint galaxies and nebulae? Explore the "Best for Deep-Sky Viewing."
Do you need a telescope that's easy to transport? The "Best Portable" winner is your ideal choice.
By considering your goals, the TelescopeAdvisor Awards 2025 make it easier than ever to choose a telescope that will bring the wonders of the universe right to your backyard.
Don't Miss the Cosmic Events of 2025!
With your new award-winning telescope, you'll be ready to witness the exciting celestial events of 2025, including the Perseid Meteor Shower, planetary alignments, and even a solar eclipse (with the proper safety equipment!).
Ready to start your cosmic journey?
Visit TelescopeAdvisor.com today to explore the full list of TelescopeAdvisor Awards 2025 winners and find the perfect telescope to ignite your passion for the universe!
Clear Skies!
My favorite nebula ever! I always use this for my profile pictures 😂😂😂
Check out more on my astrophotography blog: mystarypi-astronomy.tumblr.com!
Lagoon Nebula, M8, in Sagittarius ❤
Taken by me (Michelle Park) using the Slooh Canary Two Telescope, taken in August 2018.
So beautiful - I absolutely love the night sky! ✨✨✨
Follow my astrophotography tumblr: mystarypi-astronomy.tumblr.com
Awww, such smart kitties. They clearly love our "Moon Dance" groovy box which is all about convex and concave lenses! Check out our groovy deal - 50% OFF "Moon Dance" Single Box! CODE: FULLMOON Go to "Single Boxes" on our website, click the "Moon Dance" groovy box then use code: FULLMOON at checkout. Hands-on Next Generation Science Standards, project-based learning. #STEMists do the "E" in #STEM! Fellow STEMists who want to become optical engineers can be on their way to doing research and investigations through the engineering design process found in monthly-themed Groovy Lab in a Box. Explore Earth’s moon, gravity, mass vs. weight, moon phases, tides, light, telescopes and much, much, more. Check out "Moon Dance" for more groovy fun for STEMists! Engineering Design Challenge: You are an optical engineer, using only the materials from your Groovy Lab in a Box, can you design and build a two lens telescope which can expand and contract while you make observations of the night sky? #optics #NASA #science #technology #engineering #math #education #convex #GroovyLabInABox #STEMist #FutureScientist #homeschooling #opticalengineer #FutureEngineer #STEMEd #moonphases #homeschooling #gravity #galileo #refractingtelescope #concave #homeschoolscience #GroovyLab #telescope #telescopes #STEMEducation #STEMEdu #instascience #MakerEd
50% OFF "Moon Dance" Single Box! CODE: FULLMOON Give your STEM Friends a groovy heads up: 1.) ❤ this post 2.) TAG a #STEMist. 3.) SHARE this post and some groovy #STEM! Go to "Single Boxes" on our website, click the "Moon Dance" groovy box then use code: FULLMOON at checkout. Hands-on Next Generation Science Standards, project-based learning. #STEMists do the "E" in STEM! Fellow STEMists who want to become optical engineers can be on their way to doing research and investigations through the engineering design process found in monthly-themed Groovy Lab in a Box. Explore Earth’s moon, gravity, mass vs. weight, moon phases, tides, light, telescopes and much, much, more. Check out "Moon Dance" for more groovy fun for STEMists! Engineering Design Challenge: You are an optical engineer, using only the materials from your Groovy Lab in a Box, can you design and build a two lens telescope which can expand and contract while you make observations of the night sky? #optics #NASA #science #technology #engineering #math #education #convex #GroovyLabInABox #FutureScientist #homeschooling #groovy #opticalengineer #FutureEngineer #STEMEd #moonphases #homeschooling #gravity #galileo #refractingtelescope #concave #homeschoolscience #GroovyLab #telescope #telescopes #STEMEducation #STEMEdu #instascience
Did you know that some observatories are not on the ground and not orbiting Earth, but are mounted on airplanes? I finally researched SOFIA, an infrared observatory in a repurposed plane, and discovered there’s a rich history of airborne astronomy. And by airborne astronomy, I mean a lot of people took pictures of astronomical phenomena from planes!
Below the cut, I have the glossary, transcript, sources, and music credits. If you have suggestions for topics I could cover, please send me a Tumblr message or tweet at me on Twitter at @HDandtheVoid, or you can ask me to my face if you know me. Please subscribe on iTunes, rate my podcast and maybe review it, and tell friends if you think they’d like to hear it!
(My thoughts on the next episode are Chuck Yeager, Stephen Hawking and his theories, the opposition of Mars, famous comets, recent developments and discoveries in the astronomer community, or an atmospheric phenomenon called ‘Steve.’ The next episode will go up April 30th, lord willing and the creek don’t rise!)
Glossary
absorption bands - the areas of the electromagnetic spectrum that are absorbed by atmospheric gases.
atmospheric windows - the areas of the electromagnetic spectrum where the atmosphere is transparent, or does not absorb the radiation of specific wavelengths.
corona - the hot outer atmosphere of the Sun.
electromagnetic spectrum - the range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends. A photon transmits electromagnetic radiation at different frequencies, which are in a range that includes (from highest frequency to lowest) gamma rays, X-rays, ultraviolet light, visible light, infrared, microwaves, and radio waves
frequency - the number of times a wave oscillates up and down per second.
hypoxia - insufficient oxygen in the blood. Symptoms include vertigo, nausea, weakness, hyperventilation, slowed thinking, poor coordination, dimmed vision, and increased heart rate.
photon - a type of elementary particle that moves in a wave. It transmits electromagnetic radition such as light. The more energy a photon has, the higher its frequency.
Script/Transcript
Sources
A map of every active satellite orbiting Earth via Quartz
Infrared radiation via Gemini Observatory (Feb 1999)
Absorption Bands and Atmospheric Windows via NASA
Gladys Ingle of the 13 BLACK CATS changes planes in mid-air via YouTube
Milestones in Airborne Astronomy: From the 1920's to the Present by Wendy Whiting Dolci (1997)
Limits to human performance: elevated risks on high mountains, by Huey, Raymond B. and Xavier Eguskitza. Journal of Experimental Biology (2001)
When Humans Fly High by Linda Pendleton (Nov 1999)
Dalton's Law tells us that the total pressure of any mixture of gases (with constant temperature and volume) is the sum of the individual pressures (also called partial pressure) of each gas in the mixture. Also, partial pressure of each gas is proportional to that gas's percentage of the total mixture. Because the percentage of oxygen in the atmosphere remains constant at 21%, Dalton's Law lets us calculate the partial pressure of the oxygen in the atmosphere at any altitude. As we'll see shortly, the human body is affected by the pressure of the gases in the atmosphere. The partial pressure of oxygen (and to a lesser extent other gases) available in the surrounding air is important in determining the onset and severity of hypoxia.
Henry's Law states that the amount of gas dissolved in a solution is proportional to the partial pressure of the gas over the solution. A bottle of carbonated liquid demonstrates Henry's Law. When the bottle is uncapped, the carbon dioxide (CO2) in the mixture will slowly diffuse to the atmosphere until the pressure of CO2 in the liquid equals the pressure of CO2 in the surrounding air. The soda will then be "flat." A bottle of soda opened in an unpressurized aircraft at 10,000 feet will foam and overflow. The opposite will happen with soda opened at pressures greater than one atmosphere. A champagne cork won't pop in a diving bathysphere pressurized for deep ocean exploration.
Boyle's Law states that the volume of a gas is inversely proportional to the pressure on the gas as long as the temperature remains constant. A gas will expand when the pressure on it is decreased. This law holds true for all gases, even those trapped in body cavities. A volume of gas at sea level pressure will expand to approximately twice its original volume at 18,000 feet, nearly nine times its original volume at 50,000 feet.
Graham's Law tells us that a gas at higher pressure exerts a force toward a region of lower pressure. There's a permeable or semi-permeable membrane separating the gases, and gas will diffuse across the membrane from the higher pressure to the lower pressure. This will continue until the pressure of the gas is equal, or nearly equal, on both sides of the membrane. Graham's Law is true for all gases and each gas in a mixture behaves independently. It's possible to have two or more gases in a solution diffusing in opposite directions across the same membrane and, in fact, this is what happens to make oxygen transfer possible in the cells and tissues of the human body.
High-Altitude Hypoxia via Harvard (July 2012)
Kuiper Airborne Observatory via NASA (May 2005)
NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory via YouTube
SOFIA Science Center
Up all Night with SOFIA, NASA's Flying Observatory via YouTube
Intro Music: ‘Better Times Will Come’ by No Luck Club off their album Prosperity
Filler Music: ‘A Bite Out of My Bed’ by The New Pornographers off their album Together.
Outro Music: ‘Fields of Russia’ by Mutefish off their album On Draught
The Beauty of Webb Telescope’s Mirrors
The James Webb Space Telescope’s gold-plated, beryllium mirrors are beautiful feats of engineering. From the 18 hexagonal primary mirror segments, to the perfectly circular secondary mirror, and even the slightly trapezoidal tertiary mirror and the intricate fine-steering mirror, each reflector went through a rigorous refinement process before it was ready to mount on the telescope. This flawless formation process was critical for Webb, which will use the mirrors to peer far back in time to capture the light from the first stars and galaxies.
The James Webb Space Telescope, or Webb, is our upcoming infrared space observatory, which will launch in 2019. It will spy the first luminous objects that formed in the universe and shed light on how galaxies evolve, how stars and planetary systems are born, and how life could form on other planets.
A polish and shine that would make your car jealous
All of the Webb telescope’s mirrors were polished to accuracies of approximately one millionth of an inch. The beryllium mirrors were polished at room temperature with slight imperfections, so as they change shape ever so slightly while cooling to their operating temperatures in space, they achieve their perfect shape for operations.
The Midas touch
Engineers used a process called vacuum vapor deposition to coat Webb’s mirrors with an ultra-thin layer of gold. Each mirror only required about 3 grams (about 0.11 ounces) of gold. It only took about a golf ball-sized amount of gold to paint the entire main mirror!
Before the deposition process began, engineers had to be absolutely sure the mirror surfaces were free from contaminants.
The engineers thoroughly wiped down each mirror, then checked it in low light conditions to ensure there was no residue on the surface.
Inside the vacuum deposition chamber, the tiny amount of gold is turned into a vapor and deposited to cover the entire surface of each mirror.
Primary, secondary, and tertiary mirrors, oh my!
Each of Webb’s primary mirror segments is hexagonally shaped. The entire 6.5-meter (21.3-foot) primary mirror is slightly curved (concave), so each approximately 1.3-meter (4.3-foot) piece has a slight curve to it.
Those curves repeat themselves among the segments, so there are only three different shapes — 6 of each type. In the image below, those different shapes are labeled as A, B, and C.
Webb’s perfectly circular secondary mirror captures light from the 18 primary mirror segments and relays those images to the telescope’s tertiary mirror.
The secondary mirror is convex, so the reflective surface bulges toward a light source. It looks much like a curved mirror that you see on the wall near the exit of a parking garage that lets motorists see around a corner.
Webb’s trapezoidal tertiary mirror captures light from the secondary mirror and relays it to the fine-steering mirror and science instruments. The tertiary mirror sits at the center of the telescope’s primary mirror. The tertiary mirror is the only fixed mirror in the system — all of the other mirrors align to it.
All of the mirrors working together will provide Webb with the most advanced infrared vision of any space observatory we’ve ever launched!
Who is the fairest of them all?
The beauty of Webb’s primary mirror was apparent as it rotated past a cleanroom observation window at our Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. If you look closely in the reflection, you will see none other than James Webb Space Telescope senior project scientist and Nobel Laureate John Mather!
Learn more about the James Webb Space Telescope HERE, or follow the mission on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.