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What is a Telescope?
A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation.
Originally it was an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observe distant objects – an optical telescope.
Used Telescopes For Sale In South Africa
K-Way Lunar Telescope
Sky-Watcher 6″ Telescope Tube
What size telescope do I need to see planets?
Aperture Size
Ideally, your telescope should have a minimum aperture of 90mm for improved visibility and clarity. A larger aperture maps to much better resolution so you can visually distinguish between a planet and objects near it like its moons or rings.1
What size telescope do I need to see galaxies?
For Galactic Observations: A reflecting telescope with a larger aperture (150 mm-250 mm) and a moderate focal length (750 mm-1250 mm) is ideal for capturing distant galaxies.
Telescopes such as the Orion XT8 or the Celestron Advanced VX 8″ offer excellent light-gathering capabilities and versatility.
Can cheap telescopes see planets?
With just a small or medium-sized telescope, skygazers can easily observe planets. You’ll be surprised how much of our solar system you can see! And you don’t need a dark sky to view all of our solar system’s planets; even under city lights, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can be easy to see with a telescope.
What telescope does NASA use?
The Hubble Space Telescope’s mirror-based optical system collects and focuses light from the universe to be analyzed by science and guidance instruments.
The optical system called the Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA), gives Hubble a unique view of the universe by gathering infrared, visible, and ultraviolet light.