What to look for and what to do once you’ve got it!

TELESCOPE CLINIC

• Start Small!

WHERE TO BEGIN

LEARN THE NIGHT SKY

GET A PLANISPHERE

RED FLASHLIGHT

CHECK OUT SOME FREE APPS!• Stars

• Planets

• Sky view free

• Star Safari

• Sky Map

• Phases of the Moon ($.99)

• They’re cheaper

• More portable

TRY BINOCULARS FIRST

• 3rd Wednesday of the month at the WB Planetarium, 7:30 p.m.

• Final two meetings before summer

• Wednesday, April 9

• Wednesday, May 21

• www.tristateastronomers.org

• Experience with many different scopes

COME TO A TSA MEETING!

• A few hundred dollars?

• A few thousand dollars?

COSTS

A FEW THINGS TO CONSIDER

• Diameter of the main lens or mirror of a telescope

APERTURE

• High f ratio = better high magnification viewing

• Take focal length/aperture

F-RATIO

• Depends on what you want to see.

• High power gives smaller patch of sky

• Pleiades and Milky Way are better in low power

• High power may not be necessary for you

SHOULD I GET THE BIGGEST AND HIGHEST F-RATIO I CAN AFFORD???

• Department stores

• Advertising “SUPER HIGH POWER”

STAY AWAY FROM TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

• http://www.tristateastronomers.org/parties.htm

WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF TELESCOPES AND WHICH IS RIGHT FOR ME?

GOTO SCOPE OR MANUAL

NEEDS

FINDER SCOPE

STAR CHARTS

• Color Filters

• Moon Filters

• Solar Filters

• http://www.telescopes.com/telescopes/howdifferentfilterscanbetteryourviewarticle.cfm

FILTERS

EYE PIECES• The smaller the number the higher the

magnification, smaller your field of view

• Focal length of telescope/focal length of eyepiece gives magnification

• Barlow lens doubles magnification

• http://www.skyandtelescope.com/equipment/basics/Guide_to_Eyepieces.html

• To help show others what you’re looking at.

• More fun to observe with a friend.

LASER POINTER

• Easy transport of materials

TACKLE BOX

PLACES TO GO TO BUY A SCOPE

• http://www.telescope.com/

• Recommended by TSA

• https://handsonoptics.com/

• Damascus, Maryland

• Worked with WB Planetarium

• http://www.theskyplus.com/

• Todd

• Baltimore Maryland

• http://www.company7.com/

• Montpelier, MD

• Where I bought my own personal telescope

• Will tighten up your optics on factory bought scopes, smoother motion & better aligned optics

• www.tristateastronomers.org

• www.cloudynights.com

WEBSITES TO VISIT

• Thursday, April 4

• Friday, April 5

• Dusk – 11 p.m.

• Telescopes

• Hands – On Zone for kids

• Sky Tours

• More!

TSA ANTIETAM NATIONAL BATTLEFIELD STAR PARTY