Telescopes are scientific instruments. And in a way, backyard astronomy telescopes are also scientific instruments, though on a lesser scale than the Hubble! But, what are reflecting telescopes used for? Are there more uses for a backyard astronomy telescope, than simply pointing and looking? Join me as we take a look at what are reflecting telescopes used for.
There is no doubt that telescopes are scientific instruments. Whether it is NASA or your own telescope, you can look into the heavens and do a lot more than simply see what Jupiter looks like.
The simplest way to use a telescope is to simply point and look. There is some science in it. You need to discover where the object is, and actually find it, and view it.
Another level to this could be the addition of a notebook. Now astronomy gets even more fun! You can now instead of simply viewing Jupiter, draw a picture in your notebook. You can write out your findings.
Over days, and weeks, months and years, these drawings and writings will allow you to get much more out of astronomy. Why? Because each day, each week, there is a change. And this change can be seen.
In the example with Jupiter, the red spot can tell you how long it takes Jupiter to do a revolution - with keen observation. You can measure information about Jupiter's moons and so much more.
We have not even scratched the surface. We have only looked at Jupiter! Imagine looking at Saturn, seeing it closer, seeing it further away, seeing the rings at certain angles, and other times the ring hardly looks like it is there.
This is science at its best, especially with backyard astronomy, and you can fully participate in it. You may not find a planet; however, you will be learning, rather than simply viewing.
A lot of what we know of the Universe is here, because astronomers of the past did these very acts. They took their small telescopes, pointed it to the heavens, and recorded. Today, that information allows us with ease to know where a planet is, its size, and even its mass!
For more advanced studies and findings, you can actually participate in science by searching for meteors and asteroids which may pose a danger to Earth. You can also measure the speed of light, and find out for yourself the size and mass of the planets, and even what they are composed of. However, that will be something that will need your research, passion, and effort to find.
There is a lot to do with reflecting telescopes, and with a bit of investigation, you can get much more out of backyard astronomy. The question is how deep do you want to get into backyard astronomy.
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