Astronomy

Cassegrains are the ultimate take anywhere telescopes which are ideal for observing the Moon and Planets. They are available in apertures up to 8 inch and can normally be purchased either as an optical tube assembly, with an equatorial mount or as a computerised goto system.

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Dobsonian telescopes offer a fantastic aperture to price ratio, the largest light gathering capability for your money. The Dobsonian mount is a very simple but effective method of mounting a Newtonian Reflector, based on the Alt-Azimuth principle. The Dobsonian mount consists of a box type mounting which allows the telescope to pivot in altitude, whilst the box itself is rotated on a base in Azimuth. There are many variations available including standard OTA and collapsible OTAs and even motorised, auto tracking models.

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Newtonian reflector telescopes offer excellent value and give you a large aperture for your money. They use a concave objective mirror at the back of the tube and a secondary mirror which directs the light to the eyepiece. As the light rays are reflected off mirrors, rather than passing through glass, no false colour is produced.

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Refracting telescopes have an objective lens at the front of the tube with the light emitting through the back of the tube to the eyepiece. Since many observations are made high in the sky, a right angle diagonal is used to avoid neck strain. This also provides an upright image making them suitable for terrestrial observations. A refractor has several advantages over other telescope designs. The tube is enclosed so that dust and moisture do not enter the tube, and they do not have a central obstruction which reduces the light entering the tube. A refractor typically will give higher quality images of planets than other telescopes of similar aperture.

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A barlow lens is a great value way of increasing the magnification of your eyepiece whilst maintaining excellent image quality. Barlow lenses are usually 2x magnification. Available in both 1.25 inch and 2 inch eyepiece fittings the barlow lens fits in between your telescope and the eyepiece.

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In this category you will find a range of camera adaptors and accessories to enable you to photograph through your telescope.

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Observing through your astronomical telescope can be awkward due to the angle of the eyepiece once the telescope is set up. A star diagonal alters the angle of the eyepiece to make observing more comfortable. The majority of telescopes will show an upside down or reversed image to correct this you require an erecting prism. Both star diagonals and erecting prisms are available in either 1.25 inch or 2 inch fittings to match your eyepiece type.

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Astronomical telescopes all use interchangeable eyepieces. These are available in a variety of powers and optical quality. To calculate the magnification an eyepiece will give you take the focal length of your telescope and divide it by the focal length of the eyepiece. For example a 6.3mm eyepiece used on a telescope with a 1000mm focal length would give a magnification of 158x. A 32mm eyepiece used on the same telescope would give a magnification of 32x.

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A range of screw on filters are available to attach to your telescope eyepiece. Filters are available for viewing the moon, planets and the sun. They reduce glare and light scattering, increase contrast through selective filtration, increase definition and resolution, reduce irradiation and lessen eye fatigue. Filters are available in sizes to match your eyepiece type, eg 1.25 inch and 2 inch.

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The finderscope is essentially a low powered mini telescope and enables you to aim your telescope easily at the target area. There are several variations available including illuminated versions and models which have built in right angle and erect image prisms.

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In this category you will find a large range of telescope mountings, GoTo upgrade kits and motor drives from manufacturers such as SkyWatcher and Celestron.

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This category contains accessories for your astronomical telescope including torches and laser pointers, laser collimators, accessory sets, binoviewers and planetarium devices.

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A power tank is a rechargeable multi function power source for use with motorised or computerised telescopes requiring 12v DC power. Power tanks can also be a useful camping accessory and even used for jump starting your car. Some models offer built in radios and flash lights.

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Solarcan was created by Sam Cornwell from a love of photography, art and astronomy. Solarcan is a unique camera designed to produce extreme time exposures that capture the Sun's path across the sky.

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