Telescopes and the Sky

Deep sky objects are those at the far edges of the solar system and even beyond. They include binary star systems, star clusters, nebulae and galaxies. In total Messier’s list contains a total of 110 objects, a list which is growing as technology and our understanding of the universe increases. To view objects that are that unimaginably far away you will need a dark night far away from any streetlights. A large telescope (the aperture should be greater than 6 inches) and attaching a light pollution filter will help produce the clearest views.

The view is so clear that what looks like a single star with the naked eye, become two or three looking through a powerful telescope. Infact, there is one four-part star in Orion’s Nebula. There are also stars that dim and brighten over time called variable stars.

Star clusters are dense collections of many thousands of stars that produce stunning views. One particularly beautiful star cluster is the Pleiades in the constellation Taurus. To the naked eyes seven stars are visible but a powerful telescope reveals these are thousands of stars densely packed.

Nebulae are large clouds of dust or gas. Emission nebulae reflect light and are spectacular but dark nebulae absorb light and are very difficult to spot.

Appearing as faint fuzzy lights, galaxies come in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Spiral (our own milky way), barred, elliptical and occasionally assorted irregular shapes. Most have massive black holes in the centre and are made up of vast numbers of star clusters and star systems held together by gravity.

Comets, frozen blocks of water and rock, that melt as they near a sun producing long plumes or tails and are truly incredible to watch. Differing in appearance depending on where they are in the heavens, they can alter in brightness and intensity.

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