Tag

Telescopes

All articles tagged with #telescopes

Pocket-Sized Moon Mission Delivers Big Access to the Night Sky
technology3 hours ago

Pocket-Sized Moon Mission Delivers Big Access to the Night Sky

The Celestron Moon Mission 100mm Tabletop Dobsonian is a compact, beginner-friendly Newtonian telescope ideal for kids and first-time stargazers on a budget. It arrives ready to use with 8mm and 20mm eyepieces, a red-dot finder, a moon filter, a moon-map poster, and Starry Night software, all mounted on a portable tabletop base that’s quick to set up on a stable surface. In practice it shines for the Moon, easily resolves Jupiter and its Galilean moons, and enables star-hopping to a few brighter deep-sky targets, though you’ll contend with a coarse focuser, occasional need for collimation, and a finder that's awkward near the zenith. The tabletop design requires a sturdy table and some help for younger users, but the package provides a safe, affordable entry point that can grow into larger telescopes later.

SpaceX's Spent Rocket Could Create a Telescopic Moon Show
space1 day ago

SpaceX's Spent Rocket Could Create a Telescopic Moon Show

A spent SpaceX Falcon 9 upper stage is forecast to crash into the sunlit edge of the Moon near Einstein crater on Aug. 5 at about 6:34 UTC, potentially kicking up a visible plume of debris through telescopes. Simulations suggest roughly 12,700 kg of material could eject, with a plume spanning up to 183 km and peaking about 90 seconds after impact, though visibility depends on impact angle, brightness contrast with the Moon, and local weather. Best viewing opportunities are in the U.S. Southeast, and the event could help researchers understand debris impacts for future lunar exploration.

Mauna Kea: Sky-High Science Hub Under Cultural Stewardship
science8 days ago

Mauna Kea: Sky-High Science Hub Under Cultural Stewardship

Mauna Kea’s summit hosts 13 major telescopes from 11 countries thanks to exceptionally clear, dry air; but the site’s sacred status for Native Hawaiians has spawned protests and a new Mauna Kea Stewardship and Oversight Authority that will take over management in 2028, with some observatories decommissioned and the future of the Thirty Meter Telescope dependent on leases and governance.

ELT's first rotation marks milestone for a 3,500-ton telescope
space-exploration20 days ago

ELT's first rotation marks milestone for a 3,500-ton telescope

The European Southern Observatory’s Extremely Large Telescope rotated its 3,500-ton structure for the first time on its Chilean mountaintop, marking a major milestone in its assembly. Weighing about 7.7 million pounds now, the ELT will grow larger as mirrors and instruments are installed later, ultimately surpassing 10 million pounds and enabling unprecedented views of the night sky.

Satellite Boom Could Obscure the Night Sky, Threatening Telescopes
space1 month ago

Satellite Boom Could Obscure the Night Sky, Threatening Telescopes

A European Southern Observatory study warns that rapid growth of satellite megaconstellations could soon brighten and streak the night sky to a point where ground-based telescopes become unusable, forcing longer exposure times and higher costs; proposals like Reflect Orbital’s space mirrors could worsen the issue, prompting regulatory and international-law considerations and calls from astronomers to mitigate the impact on science and the public’s view of the sky.

From hacker to space-light pioneer, Roelker bets on laser-powered space data
technology1 month ago

From hacker to space-light pioneer, Roelker bets on laser-powered space data

Dan Roelker, a former hacker and DARPA program manager, now leads Observable Space, where software and advanced optics are used to track satellites with sub-arcsecond precision and to enable high-bandwidth laser communications from space to Earth; the company emerged from a merge of OurSky and PlaneWave, won a Space Force contract, and just closed a $90 million Series A to scale telescope production and laser-link tech for orbital data centers and NASA’s Artemis missions.

Near-Earth Rock Slips Through Detection Door Before Close Flyby
science2 months ago

Near-Earth Rock Slips Through Detection Door Before Close Flyby

An asteroid the size of a blue whale will pass about 56,500 miles from Earth tonight (roughly 24% of the Earth–Moon distance), but it wasn’t discovered until roughly a week ago because key radar facilities are down after Arecibo’s collapse and ongoing Goldstone repairs; only about 1% of Earth-skimming asteroids this size get flagged, even as surveys like Vera Rubin Observatory discover thousands of new objects, highlighting gaps in our planetary defense.

Vaonis sharpens night skies with Vespera III and Pro 2 smart telescopes
space2 months ago

Vaonis sharpens night skies with Vespera III and Pro 2 smart telescopes

Vaonis has unveiled two new smart telescopes, the Vespera III and Vespera Pro 2, featuring sharper optics and upgraded sensors to improve color contrast, reduce chromatic aberration, and deliver edge-to-edge sharpness for astrophotography. The Vespera III uses a Sony IMX585 8.5MP sensor with a 50 mm aperture and offers up to 11 hours of battery and 115 GB of internal storage; the Pro 2 packs a higher‑resolution Sony IMX676 12.5MP sensor with 225 GB storage. Both models share a 245 mm focal length, include a tall aluminum tripod, add a humidity sensor with an anti‑fog system, and upgrade to USB‑C for faster file transfers. They are priced at $2,490 and $2,990 and are available now from BH Photo & Video and other retailers, continuing Vaonis’ push toward automated alignment, tracking and smartphone-based imaging for enthusiasts and beginners.

Laser-guided stars sharpen Tarantula Nebula observations
space2 months ago

Laser-guided stars sharpen Tarantula Nebula observations

ESO's Very Large Telescope Interferometer fires four lasers into the Tarantula Nebula to create artificial guide stars, helping compensate for Earth's atmosphere with adaptive optics and sharpen distant space images; the Tarantula Nebula sits about 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, and this highlights laser guide star technology as a growing tool in astronomy.

Canada Bets on Tiny Stars to Find Earth-Sized Worlds with New POET Mission
science3 months ago

Canada Bets on Tiny Stars to Find Earth-Sized Worlds with New POET Mission

Canada is proposing the POET mission, a microsatellite survey targeting ultracool dwarfs (the galaxy’s smallest, dimmest stars) to detect Earth-sized exoplanets (1–2.5 R⊕) via transits. By focusing on about 100–300 nearby stars from a larger catalog and using a 20 cm telescope across multiple wavelengths, POET aims for a one-year observing campaign that could deliver higher sensitivity than earlier missions and enable atmospheric studies and biosignature checks on newly found worlds.

April 2026 Stargazing Gear Guide: Cameras, Binoculars, and Telescopes for Lyrids and Comets
space4 months ago

April 2026 Stargazing Gear Guide: Cameras, Binoculars, and Telescopes for Lyrids and Comets

Live Science’s April 2026 stargazing gear guide suggests the best cameras, binoculars, and telescopes to enjoy this month’s sky events, including the Full Pink Moon, the Lyrid meteor shower, and two bright comets (C/2026 A1 MAPS and C/2025 R3 PanSTARRS). It highlights a dark-sky window around the new moon on April 17 for deep-sky observing and astro-photography, and offers practical gear picks and tips for lunar, planetary, and galaxy observing.

Spring Galaxy Season: 7 Must-See Deep-Sky Targets
space4 months ago

Spring Galaxy Season: 7 Must-See Deep-Sky Targets

Live Science highlights a spring galaxy season with seven top deep-sky targets to observe: Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) with its companion NGC 5195; Bode’s Galaxy (M81) and the Cigar Galaxy (M82); Pinwheel Galaxy (M101); the Leo Triplet (M65, M66, NGC 3628); the Whale and Hockey Stick (NGC 4631 and NGC 4656); Markarian’s Chain in the Virgo/Coma region; and the Sombrero Galaxy (M104). The piece notes this is a prime time for galaxy hunting, recommends using a GoTo or smart telescope to ease finding faint targets, and mentions the Messier Marathon as a spring observing challenge, with dark skies and a bit of patience yielding dramatic views even from modest gear.

Amazon Spring Sale 2026 Sparks Stargazing Gear Discounts
deals4 months ago

Amazon Spring Sale 2026 Sparks Stargazing Gear Discounts

Live Science highlights early deals in Amazon's Spring Sale 2026 for stargazing gear, including telescopes, binoculars and astrophotography cameras, with notable discounts on models like Celestron StarSense Explorer DX 130AZ, NexStar Evolution 9.25, SkyMaster binoculars and Sony A7R V; the sale runs March 25–31, 2026, with editors tracking deals across retailers.

Elite skywatching gear for 2026: smart telescopes, stabilized binos, and AI-powered mounts
space5 months ago

Elite skywatching gear for 2026: smart telescopes, stabilized binos, and AI-powered mounts

Space.com’s premium skywatching gear guide for 2026 highlights high-end, automation-rich equipment—from image-stabilized binoculars (Canon 18x50 IS UD; Fujifilm TS-L 16x40; Canon 10x42 L IS WP) to smart telescopes (Unistellar Envision, eVscope 2, Odyssey Pro, Vaonis Vespera Pro, Celestron Origin Mark II) and GoTo mounts (Celestron StarSense DX 130AZ, Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi, Benro Polaris Astro)—emphasizing how better optics and software let you find, capture, and share celestial targets, albeit at premium prices.