Jul 28

Star Gazing

Stars No Comments »

Star gazing is indisputably the oldest scientific hobby on earth.

Prior to invention of the telescope, stargazers required no special apparatus but their own eyes and a clear view of sky to appreciate the splendor of the infinity. For many people, star gazing doesn’t start just as a favorite pursuit. In some, it is a natural response to an inborn desire - to reach out to the stars. In others, star gazing originates from the growing respect they cultivate for the vastness of this universe. Whether you’re catching a glimpse of the star-filled clear skies or peeping into the cosmos through your telescope, you can’t deny the felicity it imparts. As a consequence, star gazing could be a great repose from a busy life. Every one of us would have at least once in our lives gazed at the stars with an exaltation so pure and divine.

Star gazing as a scientific trend, dates back to the ancient philosopher, Plato. His student, Aristotle was the first to start a systematic study of astronomy before 300 B.C, though he wrongly summarized that the earth is the center of the universe and stars move around it. During the long course of the scientific journey, many astronomers later continued their study and synthesized various theories from their observation and primitive star gazing. Star gazing was a major branch of observation and laid the foundation for Astronomy. Man had always worked on theories to understand the bright objects hanging in the skies and their relative position in space. Stars have always fascinated man and in particular the intellectual group of humanity. The boundless nature of the universe is one of the never-ending fascinations of man which allude him to star gazing. Many people recognize that their affection for star gazing remains fresh throughout their life.

A thrilling way to refresh your senses, star gazing could actually be a great learning experience. Star gazing eventually inspires us to accumulate knowledge of heavenly bodies of our limitless cosmos. Many star gazers don’t just stop at star gazing. They continue to learn in great detail the working principles of the universe and its constituents. Thus star gazing promotes scientific learning among its enthusiasts. Star gazing really has an interesting history in the development of science and the scientific method. It was star gazing that brought out the first astounding fact many communities could not digest, that the earth was not the center of the universe. In due course, the scientific method has corrected many fallacies our ancestors had endured.

It was only in the 17th century the grand invention of the Telescope changed the face of star gazing. The Telescope was a scientific milestone which paved way to Modern Astronomy. Through the four centuries that have passed, the telescope as a major tool for scientific research, has tremendously aided astronomers to unravel countless mysteries of the universe surrounding us. Today, the glass telescope has evolved a long way into the radio telescope. Radio Telescopes, though relying on a similar principle of amplification as glass telescopes, can provide sight of celestial bodies millions of light years away. But the glass telescope has not lost its prominence. It continues to serve scientists and amateur astronomers with a continued brilliance as ever. There is always a plenitude of star gazing enthusiasts around the world who direct their telescopes toward glistening worlds of hope that hang in the dimmest chasms of an enigmatic universe. And there are scientists watching out of their laboratory telescopes in hope of discovering another new home for mankind to dwell in. An expression of anticipation, and a burning desire, star gazing will continue to be promoted by many more enthusiasts all over the world.

Worth honorary mention is Plato’s ageless quote relevant to star gazing, “Astronomy compels the soul to look upwards and leads us from this world to another.”

If you’re new to the wonderful world of astronomy, or star gazing, a great outset would be Asynx Planetarium Software.

To download the software and to start your observations today, visit http://www.asynx-planetarium.com an invaluable source of information for beginners.

Christian Nuesch

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Apr 28

Astronomy, Star Gazing, and Green Laser Pointers

Astronomy, Star Gazing, and Green Laser Pointers No Comments »

There is nothing more frustrating in astronomy that than unsuccessfully trying to identifying an object in the night sky to a companion by waving your arms, pointing fingers, describing and gestulating.

An elegant, simple and very effective solution to this problem is to use green lasers pointers to point out objects in the sky.
Green laser pointers are high technology gadgets that are becoming more and more popular in astronomy. Not only are green laser pointers ideal for pointing out celestial objects, they are also very useful for aligning telescopes and for atrophotography.
Why green laser pointers
Green laser pointers are the preferred laser pointer color for astronomy because green is the most visible laser pointer color. The reason why green is more visible is the human eye is most sensitive to green light. The other reason is the effect of light in the earth’s atmosphere. Light is visible in the sky when the atmosphere scatters it and higher wavelengths are scattered more than higher wavelengths. Green is a medium wavelength so it scatters more and is more visible than longer wavelengths such as red.
Other applications
Using green laser pointers to point out celestial object to people next to you is not the only application for laser pointers in astronomy. A green laser pointer can also be mounted on a telescope using a bracket or by holding the laser by hand in the groove parallel to the telescopes optical axis. The green laser pointer beam clearly shows where the telescope is pointing and the object being viewed through the telescope.
A green laser pointer mounted on a telescope can also makes aligning the telescope to a celestial object much faster and easier.
How powerful should the laser pointer be?
Green laser pointers can range in power levels from 1mW all the way to 200mW so deciding which power level to use can be tricky. The points to consider when choosing the power level for an astronomy laser are
-The number of people star gazing with you. If it is just one person, a low power such as 5mW will be suitable. If you are stargazing with a large group of people who will not be standing next to you, the laser needs to be more visible so a high power level such as 100mW would be suitable.
-The level of ambient light. If you are stargazing at dawn/dusk, during a full moon or in built up areas where there is a lot of light pollution, a low powered beam such as 5mW would be harder to see. You would generally need at least 50mW or more in this kind of situation.
Higher powered laser pointers are not always better because any glare from them can easily ruin your night vision and can provide a distraction. Many stargazing nights have been ruined when people have been paying more attention to the new and exotic high power laser used to point out objects than the actual objects themselves.
Caution
Deliberately pointing a laser at aircraft is a very serious offence in every country so avoid star gazing near airports and do not use a laser when there is an aircraft in the section of the sky being viewed.

Article is courtesy of Dragonlasers - No 1 lasers, laser pointer and green laser online store.
Frank is from Dragonlasers at http://www.dragonlasers.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_Smith

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