terrestrial telescope
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Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter
List Price: |
DescriptionBinoculars come in a wide range of shapes and sizes these days, and an even wider range of prices. It's easy to spend less than $100 or more than $500 for what may appear to be, at least outwardly, comparable models. While they may look the same, they are probably quite different on the inside. Recently, the binocular market has seen a flood of giant binoculars at prices that were unheard of just a few years ago. In general, giant binoculars are defined as those that magnify the view 10 times or more and have 70-mm or larger front (objective) lenses. It used to be that the least expensive giant binoculars cost in excess of $150, even $200. All that changed not long ago, when the bottom fell out of the price cellar. Now, several companies import giant binoculars that sell for half that, or less. Celestron's 15x70 SkyMaster binoculars are one of the leaders in the low-price giant binocular arena. They certainly sound good on paper. The SkyMasters include multicoated optics and BaK-4 internal prisms, two features that promise brighter, better images, and key points to look for when judging a pair of binoculars. They also come with an adapter for attaching them to a photo tripod, which is a must to use them to their fullest, and a soft carrying case. But just because they are cheap doesn't always mean they are worth the price. Would it be better to save up for a more expensive pair? To find the answer, I had an opportunity recently to judge the SkyMasters against a pair of Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX binoculars , one of the finest pairs of giant binoculars sold today. Like the SkyMasters, the Fujinons feature BaK-4 prisms, but also have fully multicoated optics. As a general rule, superior coatings mean superior image sharpness and contrast. But then, that should be expected, given that the Fujinons cost many times more than the Celestrons. While the Fujinons were clearly the better performer, the Celestron SkyMasters held up admirably. Image brightness, quality, and contrast were all remarkable considering their bargain price. Although images were a little soft across the outer 25% of the Celestron's field, the overall view was impressive nonetheless. Some inexpensive binoculars have very sloppy focusing, causing the eyepieces to tilt and shift. Not so with the SkyMasters. I found that their center-focusing mechanism worked smoothly, with no apparently backlash or wobble. Eye relief (the distance you hold your eyes away from the eyepieces to see the full field) is stated to be 18 mm, a good distance for higher power binoculars and an important consideration if you must wear glasses when viewing. The SkyMasters are also light enough to support by hand for short periods of time, although buyers would be well advised to mount them on a sturdy photo tripod. The bottom line is, if you are considering a pair of giant binoculars, whether for bird watching, stargazing, or another recreational use, and have a limited budget, Celestron's giant 15x70 SkyMasters represent an excellent value. --Phil Harrington, author of Star Ware and Star Watch Pros: Exceptional value for the price Light enough to support by hand BaK-4 prisms Multicoated optics Cons: Outer 25% of the field is soft and a little blurry Requires a tripod to use for extended periods Celestron and ;s SkyMaster Series of large aperture binoculars are a phenomenal value for high performance binoculars ideal for astronomical viewing or for terrestrial (land) use - especially over long distances. Each SkyMaster model features high quality BAK-4 prisms and multi-coated optics for enhanced contrast. Celestron has designed and engineered the larger SkyMaster models to meet the special demands of extended astronomical or terrestrial viewing sessions. The 15x70 version is one of the most popular models in the series. It offers serious large aperture light gathering in an affordable and reasonably lightweight configuration. Features
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13 Unsolved Scientific Puzzles!
1. MOST OF THE UNIVERSE IS MISSING
We can only account for 4 per cent of the cosmos
If you’re wondering what the LHC might do for you, how’s this: it might just find a whole quarter of the universe. The collider is hoping to create some particles of what physicists call "dark matter", an enigma that is thought to make up roughly 25 per cent of the universe. Then there is the "dark energy", a mysterious force that seems to be ripping space and time apart. In total, a whopping 96 per cent of the universe has gone AWOL. Unless, that is, we’ve got our maths all wrong. Watch this space.
Times Archive: Pioneer 11 arrival at Saturn, 1974
3. VARYING CONSTANTS
Destabilising our view of the universe
A decade ago, we discovered that the fundamental constants of physics might not be so constant after all. These are the numbers that describe just how strong the forces of nature are, and make the laws of physics work when we use them to describe the processes of nature. Light that has travelled across the universe from distant stars tells us those laws might have been different in the past. Though the physical laws and constants have helped us define and tame the natural world, they might be an illusion.
4. COLD FUSION
Nuclear energy without the drama
In 1989, the world was rocked by claims that you could release nuclear energy without a catastrophic explosion. Various failures to replicate or explain these results soon ended the careers of the scientists involved. But, despite what you might have heard, "cold fusion" never really went away. Over a 10-year period from 1989, US navy labs ran more than 200 experiments to investigate whether nuclear reactions generating more energy than they consume - supposedly only possible inside stars - can occur at room temperature. Numerous researchers have since pronounced themselves believers. With controllable cold fusion, many of the world’s energy problems would melt away: no wonder the US Department of Energy is interested again.
5. LIFE
Are you more than just a bag of chemicals?
Are you more than the sum of the inanimate chemicals that make up your body? What turns a living tree into a lifeless piece of wood? No one knows. Researchers have even given up trying to define what life is. But they are still trying to understand it - by making it from scratch. In labs across the world, people are taking the raw materials of living things and trying to put them together in a way that makes them come alive. In an effort to resolve the anomalous nature of life, the idea of scientists playing God has taken a whole new turn. Times Archive: Dr Edmund Leach on when scientists play God, 1968
6. METHANE FROM MARTIANS
NASA scientists found evidence for life on Mars. Then they changed their minds
On July 20, 1976, the Viking landers scooped up some Martian soil and mixed it with radioactive nutrients. The mission’s scientists all agreed that if radioactive methane was released from the soil, something must be eating the nutrients - and there must be life on Mars. The experiment gave a positive result, but NASA denied an official detection of Martian life. Today, there is even more evidence that something is creating methane on Mars. Is it life? The Viking experiment suggests it was. Martin Rees, England’s astronomer royal, calls the search for extraterrestrial life the most important scientific endeavour of our time. But have we already found it? Times Archive: Spacecraft evidence suggests life on Mars was possible, 1976
7. THE WOW! SIGNAL
Has ET already been in touch?
It was an electromagnetic pulse that came from the direction of the Sagittarius constellation. It lasted 37 seconds and had exactly the characteristics predicted for an alien signal. Maybe that’s why, on 15 August 1977 it caused astronomer Jerry Ehman to scrawl "Wow!" on the printout from Big Ear, Ohio State University’s radio telescope in Delaware. The nearest star in that direction is 220 light years away. If that really is where is came from, it would have had to be a pretty powerful astronomical event - or an advanced alien civilisation using an astonishingly large and powerful transmitter. More than 30 years later, its origin remains a mystery. Times Archive: ET, The Extra Terrestrial, The Times review 1982
8. A GIANT VIRUS
It’s a freak that could rewrite the story of life
Mimivirus is sitting in a freezer in Marseille. Around thirty times bigger than the rhinovirus that gives you a common cold, it is by far the biggest virus known to science. But this virus’s biggest impact won’t be on the healthcare systems of the globe. It will be, most likely, on the history of life on Earth. Mimivirus doesn’t fit with the established story of how life on Earth got going. Mimi has a genome that, in parts, looks like yours. Mimivirus seems to be part of the story of life on Earth. It may even make us rewrite it.
9. DEATH
Evolution’s problem with self-destruction
Why must we die? It is a question that splits biologists, and over the years, theories have been batted back and forth as new evidence comes to light. One answer is that death is simply necessary - to avoid overcrowding, for instance. But evolution doesn’t - can’t - select for a "death switch" because evolution is supposed to be all about the inpidual. And yet there does seem to be a death switch: researchers have managed to locate genetic switches that massively extend the lifespan of some nematode worms. Can we solve the riddle of death? Times Archive: Why die? Experiments in immortality, 1921
10. SEX
There are better ways to reproduce
Sex is everywhere, but no one knows why. It is a question that "better scientists than I have spent book after book failing to answer," says Richard Dawkins. To Charles Darwin, the reason for the prevalence of sexual reproduction was "hidden in darkness". All the arguments in favour of sexual reproduction are countered by stronger arguments in favour of self-cloning: asexual reproduction, where an organism produces a copy of itself, is a much more efficient way to pass your genes down to the next generation. There’s no proof that sex makes a species more resilient, or better placed to cope with change. Why is it still around? Times Archive: Darwin on the Descent of Man, 1871 Part 1 Part 2
11. FREE WILL
Your decisions are not your own
Our gut instinct, our experience, is that we make the decisions to move, to think, to eat, to steal, to lie, to punch and kick. We have constructed the entire edifice of our civilisation on this idea. But science says this free will is a delusion. According to the world’s best neuroscientists, we are brain-machines. Our brains create the sense that somewhere within them is the "you" that makes decisions. But it is an illusion; there is no ghost in the machine. What does this mean for our sense of self? And for our morality - can we prosecute people for acts over which they had no conscious control? Times Archive: Necessity and free will, 1877
12. THE PLACEBO EFFECT
Who’s being deceived?
The placebo effect used to be thought of as just a manipulation, a mind-trick. Doctors wore white coats, spoke in soothing tones, exuding confidence and medical know-how, and if they told you a pill would make you better, it would. By the time you found out it was just a sugar pill, you were feeling great, so who cares? Well, lots of people, actually, because our new understanding of placebo is messing up medicine. Some prescription drugs that were judged to perform "better than placebo" in clinical trials don’t work unless you know you’re taking them. All in all, the gold standard of medicine, the placebo-controlled clinical trial, is looking a little peaky. Times Archive: Science report: Endorphins and the placebo effect, 1978
13. HOMEOPATHY
It’s patently absurd, so why won’t it go away?
Homeopathy’s claim is that you can take a substance of dubious properties, dilute it to the point where there are no molecules of the original substance left in the sample you have, and still use it to heal sickness. Sir John Forbes, the physician to Queen Victoria’s household, called it "an outrage to human reason." There is no justification in all of science for this idea — and yet there remains some slim evidence that homeopathy works. How can this be? Times Archive: Advertisement: The New Homoeopathy, 1914
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Need help focusing my telescope on planets?
I bought the Celestron Astromaster 114 EQ Newtonian mount reflector a few weeks ago. Aperture is 114 mm, focal length is 1000mm, it came with two eyepieces: 20 mm and 10mm. Star Diagonal is 1.25 inch.
So here's my problem: i can focus it in the sky well, but after focusing, the stars & planets I see through the eye pieces are the same size as I would see using my naked eye! I am a little bummed about this, I am not able to understand why there is no magnication of planets. There are two planets in the sky which I can easily make out through my naked eye, but when I focus on them, they appear in the same size and dont get magnified! When I foucs on terrestrial objects, there is good magnification and I can see far off objects quite well! But when it comes to sky, I dont understand why there is no magnification.
Any advice will help. Also, do I have to buy more powerful eye pieces? If so what size?
There is nothing wrong with your telescope. The problem is with your expectations.
First of all, stars. There is no telescope on Earth which can show a star as anything other than a point of light: all stars are so far away that they will never show a disk. However, if you look at a double star, such as Mizar in the handle of the Big Dipper, you will see that the separation between the components increases greatly with magnification.
Secondly, planets. The planets are all much smaller than beginners expect. Mars is particularly disappointing in this respect. Your telescope really is magnifying them by the amount calculated (50x with the 20mm, 100x with the 10mm), but the disk is so small to start with that you don't realise this. At present the disk of Mars is incredibly small, and requires at least an 8" telescope and at least 250x to show it. You should do better with Saturn, which is now rising in the East in the evening sky, but again it will be smaller than you expect, and will require quite a bit of training of your eye to see much detail.
I'd try an eyepiece around 7mm focal length (143x). That's probably about the most magnification your telescope can support.
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Celestron SkyMaster Giant 15x70 Binoculars with Tripod Adapter
List Price: |
DescriptionBinoculars come in a wide range of shapes and sizes these days, and an even wider range of prices. It's easy to spend less than $100 or more than $500 for what may appear to be, at least outwardly, comparable models. While they may look the same, they are probably quite different on the inside. Recently, the binocular market has seen a flood of giant binoculars at prices that were unheard of just a few years ago. In general, giant binoculars are defined as those that magnify the view 10 times or more and have 70-mm or larger front (objective) lenses. It used to be that the least expensive giant binoculars cost in excess of $150, even $200. All that changed not long ago, when the bottom fell out of the price cellar. Now, several companies import giant binoculars that sell for half that, or less. Celestron's 15x70 SkyMaster binoculars are one of the leaders in the low-price giant binocular arena. They certainly sound good on paper. The SkyMasters include multicoated optics and BaK-4 internal prisms, two features that promise brighter, better images, and key points to look for when judging a pair of binoculars. They also come with an adapter for attaching them to a photo tripod, which is a must to use them to their fullest, and a soft carrying case. But just because they are cheap doesn't always mean they are worth the price. Would it be better to save up for a more expensive pair? To find the answer, I had an opportunity recently to judge the SkyMasters against a pair of Fujinon 16x70 FMT-SX binoculars , one of the finest pairs of giant binoculars sold today. Like the SkyMasters, the Fujinons feature BaK-4 prisms, but also have fully multicoated optics. As a general rule, superior coatings mean superior image sharpness and contrast. But then, that should be expected, given that the Fujinons cost many times more than the Celestrons. While the Fujinons were clearly the better performer, the Celestron SkyMasters held up admirably. Image brightness, quality, and contrast were all remarkable considering their bargain price. Although images were a little soft across the outer 25% of the Celestron's field, the overall view was impressive nonetheless. Some inexpensive binoculars have very sloppy focusing, causing the eyepieces to tilt and shift. Not so with the SkyMasters. I found that their center-focusing mechanism worked smoothly, with no apparently backlash or wobble. Eye relief (the distance you hold your eyes away from the eyepieces to see the full field) is stated to be 18 mm, a good distance for higher power binoculars and an important consideration if you must wear glasses when viewing. The SkyMasters are also light enough to support by hand for short periods of time, although buyers would be well advised to mount them on a sturdy photo tripod. The bottom line is, if you are considering a pair of giant binoculars, whether for bird watching, stargazing, or another recreational use, and have a limited budget, Celestron's giant 15x70 SkyMasters represent an excellent value. --Phil Harrington, author of Star Ware and Star Watch Pros: Exceptional value for the price Light enough to support by hand BaK-4 prisms Multicoated optics Cons: Outer 25% of the field is soft and a little blurry Requires a tripod to use for extended periods Celestron and ;s SkyMaster Series of large aperture binoculars are a phenomenal value for high performance binoculars ideal for astronomical viewing or for terrestrial (land) use - especially over long distances. Each SkyMaster model features high quality BAK-4 prisms and multi-coated optics for enhanced contrast. Celestron has designed and engineered the larger SkyMaster models to meet the special demands of extended astronomical or terrestrial viewing sessions. The 15x70 version is one of the most popular models in the series. It offers serious large aperture light gathering in an affordable and reasonably lightweight configuration. Features
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Celestron 21061 AstroMaster 70 AZ Refractor Telescope
List Price: |
DescriptionCelestron AstroMaster 70AZ 45 - 90X Refractor Telescope. Affordable, powerful, lightweight... the perfect choice for amateur astronomers and backyard stargazers! Proving once again that you don't need NASA's budget to see the stars. If you're aiming to get started in astronomy, the AstroMaster 70AZ's blend of quality optics, entry-level usability and affordable price is tough to beat. It's lightweight, easy to haul to the darker skies found outside city limits, and requires no tools to set up. For celestial and "earthbound" observation on a dime, the Celestron AstroMaster outshines the rest! Specifications: Pan-handle altazimuth style mount controls easily for smooth pointing; perfect for terrestrial and celestial viewing; 70 mm aperture size; Includes 20 mm eyepiece for 45X magnification, 10 mm eyepiece for 90X; Refractor optical design; Fully-coated glass optics with high-transmission coatings for enhanced brightness and clarity; Built-in StarPointer red laser for easy targeting; Comes with The Sky X Planetarium software, featuring a 10,000 object database to get you started; Focal length: 900 mm; Focal ratio: 12.86; Limiting stellar magnitude: 11.7; Light-gathering power: 165X; Angular F.O.V.: 1.1 degrees; Linear F.O.V.: 58'; Optical tube length: 36"; 1.25" erect image diagonal; Weighs 18 lbs. Includes aluminum tripod with 1.25" steel tube legs. Order yours today! Celestron AstroMaster 70AZ 45-90X Refractor Telescope Features
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Celestron 93625 Universal 1.25-inch Camera T-Adapter
List Price: |
DescriptionFits (drop in style) any type of telescope that uses a 1.25" focuser or visual back. Allows you to attach your 35mm SLR camera to the prime focus of your telescope or spotting scope. Both a T-Adapter and T-Ring are required to mount a 35mm SLR camera to your instrument. Features
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Celestron 21068 SkyScout Scope 90mm Telescope with Sky Scout Mounting Braket
List Price: |
DescriptionThe Celestron® SkyScout® Scope 90 is designed exclusively for use with the SkyScout™ Personal Planetarium (not included). The SkyScout® Scope 90 is easy to set-up, nearly maintenance-free and features Celestron's precision optics. It comes with a pre-assembled tripod to provide a rigid and stable viewing platform. Features
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Orion Observer 70mm Altazimuth Refractor Telescope
Sale Price: $139.99 |
DescriptionOur Observer 70 is the perfect telescope for that budding astronomer in your family. This scope excels in both quality and performance. Its 70mm multi-coated achromatic objective lens - focal length 700mm focal length (f/10) - gathers 36% more light than a 60mm. And it's made of glass, not plastic, as you'd find in many department store models. The optical tube is supported on a sturdy aluminum tripod with accessory tray. This altazimuth model can also be used for terrestrial viewing. Standard accessories include a 10mm (70x) Explorer II eyepiece, a 25mm (28x) Explorer II eyepiece, 90-deg mirror star diagonal, and an EZ Finder II finder scope. One-year limited warranty. Features
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ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE
Sale Price: $25.99 |
DescriptionHere's a great beginners telescope for backyard astronomers! Three interchangeable lens give you the option of 20mm, 30mm and 40mm viewing. Features
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Orion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Telescope
Sale Price: $199.99 |
DescriptionOrion StarBlast 4.5 Astro Reflector TelescopeLaunch a lifetime of stargazing with this compact, ready-to-use telescopeTop-notch optics show you the moon, the planets, the stars and moreScope comes fully assembled so you can go from box to backyard in minutesHigh-quality optics, point-and-view ease of use, remarkable portability, all for less than $200Your ticket to space-tourism without the zero-G nauseaMaybe it's because many of us started out with those frustrating little department store refractors, but at Orion we strive to offer quality telescopes for beginners that are easy to use and will inspire their natural inclination to explore.The Orion StarBlast is one such telescope. Pint-sized in stature, it's a real reflecting telescope that's super-simple to use and yet manufactured with the kind of quality you'd expect in more expensive models.The Orion StarBlast is a point-and-view telescope that swivels smoothly on its sturdy, low-profile base. No complicated setup is required. In fact, it comes pre-assembled and ready for action right out of the box! Just carry it outdoors by its built-in handle, place it on the ground or on a picnic bench, and let the fun begin!Inside the StarBlast's 18"-long steel tube are real, quality telescope optics, including a 114mm (4.5") parabolic mirror. With the two Explorer II telescope eyepieces, upcoming skywatchers will see spectacular views of the Moon's craters, the planets, star clusters, and lots of other exotic space stuff. Aiming the Orion StarBlast is easy with the EZ Finder II "red dot" finder scope. The package also includes an eyepiece rack and a snap-on dust cap.The Orion StarBlast will not only give beginners hour after hour of fun, but will also nurture their interest in the night sky. One-year limited warranty. This item cannot be shipped internationally due to its size and weight. Features
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Sharing the Universe: Perspectives on Extraterrestrial Life
List Price: |
DescriptionScientists are scanning the skies for extraterrestrial life. The most sophisticated search takes place at California's SETI Institute. This book explains their fascinating work to general readers. |
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Schaum's Outline of Astronomy (Schaum's Outline Series)
List Price: |
Description- Provides a basic introduction to the topics covered in a beginning astronomy course, with an emphasis on problem-solving methods ordinarily taught on the fly or in ad-hoc tutorials- Closes the gap in student literature by providing a focused, comprehensive presentation of basic astronomical problem-solving techniques - Readers learn by example with the help of more than 200 detailed problems and step-by-step solutions, supplemented with over 100 detailed charts and graphs- Designed to accompany all leading 100-level astronomy textbooks, or to be used as a stand-alone guide for amateur stargazers - Provides a basic introduction to the topics covered in a beginning astronomy course, with an emphasis on problem-solving methods ordinarily taught on the fly or in ad-hoc tutorials- Closes the gap in student literature by providing a focused, comprehensive presentation of basic astronomical problem-solving techniques - Readers learn by example with the help of more than 200 detailed problems and step-by-step solutions, supplemented with over 100 detailed charts and graphs- Designed to accompany all leading 100-level astronomy textbooks, or to be used as a stand-alone guide for amateur stargazers |




US $100.00









