Man had great fascination for observing celestial bodies from ancient period. Naked eye was one of the means by which the planetary positions were observed. This was a means which astronomers like Aryabhata, Bhaskara and Copernicus used before the invention of the telescope by Galileo. Pole star played an important mark by providing ancient astronomers the reference point they needed and this helped in the forecasting of eclipses keeping the relative positions of the stars in the calculations. Pole star in ancient Egypt was used in the construction of the pyramids by providing the perfect reference point in the night sky.
When telescope was invented in the 15th century it opened up a new field of view for space exploration. With the invention of telescope, the geocentric concept of the solar system was wiped away with a more rational heliocentric theory was put forth. Telescopes have undergone a great revolution with what used to be only possible to view the neighboring Venus and Mars being now stretched to the outer half of the solar system with the likes of Jupiter and Uranus being explored with ease. It is believed that with the current pace at which the technology is growing the dwarf planet Pluto can also be scaled without difficulty in the near future. Today there are alternate means which are used to observe distance stars and planets like x-rays and reflections from the stars.
With new telescopes being available the scope of astronomy has widened greatly, gone are the days when an individual had to visit an observatory for using a telescope. The prices of telescopes have greatly fallen these days and amateur telescopes are available at a very affordable price. Most astronomers are amateurs and like to watch the nature in its truest form and there are affordable telescopes like the Meade Telescope that help amateur astronomers enjoy the beautiful night spectacle.
Diameter of the aperture and the power of the lens go along way in determining the resolution the telescope can provide with its increased capability. Telescope makers provide manuals containing detailed instructions on how the telescopes can be assembled. Some maker’s do the assembly themselves for the customers should they require it. An amateur telescope itself can cover the Saturn’s rings on a clear night.
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