Guide to Telescopes, Binoculars & Accessories

by SPACE.com Staff

Date: 12 December 2006 Time: 03:09 PM ET

There is a bewildering array of choices and options out there for astronomy equipment. This section will give you to knowledge to make informed purchasing decisions before you open your wallet.

	Telescope Buyer's Guide Given the bewildering array of telescopes on the market, how does an enthusiastic but inexperienced consumer choose the right one? To answer this question we will explain the differences between specific telescope types and let you know what's really important. >Click Here
	Choosing Eyepieces They're the things you look into, but they also determine the telescope's power and influence the quality of the image you see. Here's what you need to know about them. >Click Here
	Choosing a Binocular Not sure what pair of binoculars to get for astronomy? >Click Here
	Telescope Mounts Do you know an equatorial mount from an altazimuth? We review the different kinds of mounts, a critical component in any telescope setup. >Click Here
	About Finder Scopes What does a finder scope do and what's the best way to use it? We aim to explain in this informative article. >Click Here
	Filters in Astronomy These simple accessories can dramatically enhance images of the Moon, Sun, planets, and deep-sky objects seen with a telescope. The different types and how they work are described in this article. >Click Here
	The Benefits of Barlow Lenses Why is a barlow one of the most useful accessories an amateur astronomer can have? If you read on, more power to you! (That's a hint.) >Click Here
	Camera Adapters Just a quick overview of the different types of adapters used to attach 35mm cameras to telescopes. >Click Here
	Apparent Field vs. True Field A quickie on the concept of field of view, in case you were wondering what's true. >Click Here
	Telescope Power (Magnification) So, how much power can I get from this telescope, and isn't really high power the name of the game in astronomy? Here's a quick lesson on this important subject. >Click Here
	Image Orientation: Which end is up Telescope optics can flip images of objects upside-down or side-to-side. So you won't be confused, we'll tell you what's up (literally). >Click Here
	The Dobsonian Story This oddly named type of telescope has made big telescopes more affordable and easier to set up and use. Here's a brief overview. >Click Here
	Telescope & Binocular Glossary Telescopes and Binoculars from A to Z. >Click Here