Marcus 
My telescope image is upside down. The image through the finderscope is also back to front or upside down or both! To save that stretching of the brain here’s how to fix upside telescope images and that finderscope problem. With a new telescope, one of the first steps is to align the finderscope (aka telescope … Read more
Should you buy a reflector or a refractor telescope? Reflector telescopes use mirrors, refractor telescopes use lenses. Here are the refractor vs reflector pros and cons to help you make the right choice for you. When I first searched for a telescope to observe the night sky, I knew nothing about how a refractor was … Read more
When you’re looking up at the night sky, you might notice some stars stand out as brighter and different in color from others. Most stars in space are ‘main sequence’ types, like our Sun. But, the standouts we see are the ‘giants’. Stars are celestial bodies that emit light and radiation. How many different types … Read more
It’s not that hard to spot Venus in our night sky. You might wonder what you would see looking at Venus through a telescope. What Does Venus Look Like Through A Telescope? Venus can look anywhere from a white tiny ball to a larger thin crescent through a backyard telescope. Because Venus is covered in … Read more
You can figure out which direction is which by looking at the night sky. Humans have been doing this for thousands of years. And, there’s no reason why you can’t find your way today from reading the position of stars and planets. Key takeaway: Unlike stars, planets tend to move around the night sky. However, … Read more
Traditional peoples across the world developed stories and beliefs about the stars and cosmos. They were guided in many ways by the night sky. Here are 10 cultural astronomy examples. Many early cultures used astronomy to understand their place in the world and the cosmos. The position of stars, star groups, and clusters helped them … Read more
Having a refractor telescope distorted image problem? It could be due to an aberration called astigmatism. Here’s what to know. When we look through a telescope, we want the image to be clear and sharp. Astigmatism is a type of off-axis aberration that interferes with this. Astigmatism in refractor telescopes and its effect on image … Read more
You’ve had your telescope set up for a few hours or overnight outside. A telescope can get wet during that time. It can happen for other reasons too. Here’s what I discovered about getting your telescope wet and what to do about it. How Your Telescope Got Wet You probably know that moisture is your … Read more
As a backyard astronomer, I’m on the lookout for interesting night sky objects to observe. One set I highly recommend is the deep-sky objects cataloged by French astronomer Charles Messier — called Messier Objects. Here, I list some favorites along with how to find them and what to expect. Messier objects were first cataloged by … Read more
There are so many interesting facts about Venus that I thought I’d put together a list of 26 to share with you. So, whether you’re a backyard enthusiast of space or just curious about our neighboring planet, keep reading to learn some cool and surprising facts about Venus! When you look through your telescope at … Read more