Tools of Stargazing (FoS)

In this final month, we visit the cutting edge of stargazing to investigate the growing field of electronically-assisted astronomy (EAA) with astronomy cameras. EAA, a form of 'snapshot astrophotography', got started perhaps 20 years ago when a handful of amateur astronomers learned how to adapt simple and inexpensive computer webcams for use with ...

This month we tackle the basic ideas of astrophotography. This is a massive subject and an expensive pastime, both in terms of time and money. But you will learn enough this month to get started taking some basic images with techniques that can lead, with a little practice, to surprisingly good results.
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In a previous section, we examined so-called “light pollution” filters, extremely useful optical tools for removing unwanted light from certain types of street lamps that have long been the scourge of astronomers. This month, we look at simpler filters for observing planets and the Moon. We take a quick look at filters that can aid in observing com...

A red-dot finder mounted on a small refractor telescope.
This month, you find out about some extremely useful stargazing tools, namely finder scopes and Barlow lenses. These tools, finders especially, belong in the toolkit of every stargazer. You also learn about useful online weather tools that forecast the state of the skies for astronomy. And yo...

This month, you look at binoviewers, a tremendously useful accessory that gives you an opportunity for a new way of observing. But binoviewers are often misunderstood, so this review gives you everything you need to know about getting started with binoviewing. You also get tips for urban observing and a look at the Bortle Dark Sky scale.
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