Night Sky – Page 3 – Telescope Boss

Should You Buy a Telescope If You Live in the City?

Stargazing is an activity which works best away from city lights. But what if you live in the suburbs, or a dense city center? Is it pointless to invest in a telescope? It is still worth considering a telescope if you live in the city. With the right equipment and expectations there are some good…

Degrees, Arc-Minutes, and Arc-Seconds: What Are They? How Do They Work?

If you’ve spent any time reading about astronomy, you’ve probably come across some peculiar units of measure: degrees, arc-minutes, and arc-seconds. They might seem confusing at first, but they are not difficult to use once you understand how they work. Arc-minutes, arc-seconds, and degrees of arc are used to describe angular separation, or apparent size….

Winter Stargazing: 5 Must-See Objects

Clear winter nights have a magical quality about them. The nights are calm and still, the air cold and crisp, carrying the essence of woodsmoke. The stars appear unusually bright against a dark velvet background. Orion the Hunter towers overhead, monolithic in its strange hourglass geometry. Brilliant Sirius scintillates over the horizon. The Gemini twins;…

How Long Does It Take Your Eyes To Become Dark Adapted? (For Observing)

When I first got my scope I was told that I needed to avoid bright light for an hour or more before observing. I took the sleep mask that came with a mattress I purchased and tried to walk around with it on. It was ridiculous, and unnecessary. Dark adapted vision occurs between 20 and…

Weather Apps for Astronomy: Astrospheric vs. ClearOutside

I bet you didn’t know you were going to be so interested in the weather when you bought your telescope. Clouds suddenly became much more interesting to me when I began observing. Apps for astronomy show cloud cover, dew point, temperate, and how these things are forecasted to change over the course of the night….