All articles tagged with #telescope
New telescope owners should start by familiarizing themselves with setup, focusing on bright targets like the moon and planets such as Jupiter and Saturn, and learning the night sky's constellations to navigate and find deep-sky objects gradually, practicing patience and regular observation.
To see Saturn and Jupiter clearly through a telescope, a refractor with at least 50mm aperture is recommended, with larger apertures like 102mm or 125mm providing more detail such as Saturn's rings and Jupiter's Great Red Spot. For higher detail, pricier catadioptric telescopes are ideal. Viewing Uranus and Neptune requires even larger telescopes, around 200mm, and a motorized mount can help locate these distant planets.
The 4MOST telescope at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile captured its first light on October 18, 2025, marking a significant milestone. It can simultaneously observe 2,400 objects and analyze their spectra across 18,000 color components, enabling detailed studies of stars, galaxies, and the universe's evolution. Its capabilities will support numerous scientific programs over the next 15 years, including understanding galaxy formation, dark matter, and cosmic history.
Astronomers have achieved the sharpest view of a distant star ever using a single telescope equipped with a novel device called a photonic lantern, which splits and analyzes starlight to produce high-resolution images, potentially revolutionizing the study of celestial objects.
European Southern Observatory engineers regularly polish and recoat the 25-ton mirrors of the Very Large Telescope in Chile's Atacama Desert to maintain optimal performance for astronomical observations, ensuring the telescope can continue to deliver detailed images of the universe.
The StellaMira 86mm ED f/7 quadruplet refractor telescope, launched by First Light Optics in 2025, offers high-quality build, excellent optical performance with minimal chromatic aberration, and a hassle-free flat field for astrophotography, making it an ideal choice for both beginners and experienced astronomers. It features a sturdy aluminium body, integrated dew shield, dual-speed focuser, and comes with a comprehensive set of accessories, all at a competitive price.
The article highlights the construction and operation of the ALMA telescope in Chile, a powerful radio-astronomy observatory composed of 66 antennas that work together to observe distant cosmic regions, with recent maintenance and weather challenges discussed.
Telescope images reveal that the interstellar comet 3I-Atlas is developing a more extended tail and becoming more active as it approaches the sun, with its closest approach to Earth expected in December.
On August 19, a rare shadow transit of Titan across Saturn will be visible in the early morning, offering a unique celestial event that can be observed with a good telescope, as Titan's shadow sweeps across Saturn's cloud tops during a rare alignment occurring roughly every 15 years.
On August 11, the moon will be near Saturn in the night sky, providing a great opportunity for skywatchers to observe the ringed planet and its features through telescopes, with the moon offering enhanced contrast for viewing its rugged terrain.
The article discusses the advancements in astronomical observation with the launch of new telescopes, including the James Webb Space Telescope and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, highlighting their capabilities to capture unprecedented images of the universe, discover new celestial objects, and deepen our understanding of cosmic phenomena, all while connecting these discoveries to a spiritual perspective on mankind's potential and divine creation.
Spain has offered to fund up to €400 million to host the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on La Palma, Canary Islands, as U.S. budget cuts threaten its construction in Hawaii, potentially shifting a major scientific project abroad due to funding and site challenges.
The NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has unveiled its first images, showcasing its powerful wide-field imaging capabilities designed to survey the southern sky extensively, identify countless celestial objects, and advance our understanding of cosmic phenomena like dark matter and dark energy, while generating vast amounts of data for scientific research.
On July 18, early risers can observe the rare shadow of Saturn's moon Titan crossing Saturn's cloud tops, an event occurring only once every 15 years, best viewed with an 8-10 inch telescope under good conditions, and followed by several more transits until October.
The Vera Rubin Observatory in Chile has released its first images, showcasing its powerful capabilities to explore the universe, study dark matter, detect asteroids, and potentially discover new planets, marking a significant advancement in astronomical research.