PHYS 3154 Observational Astrophysics J. H. Simonetti jsimonetti@vt.edu

Astro At Home

Some students ask about telescopes, cameras, etc., that I might recommend for personal use. Of course, our course equipment is expensive, but there are alternatives. Visual astronomy is fun. Check out these websites.

Buying a Telescope?

My advice for people interested in buying a telescope for a beginner, or for visual observing --- buy an Dobsonian.

Build a Dobsonian Telescope

If you are handy with your hands, you can build one!

QuickCam Astronomy

This site describes an inexpensive CCD camera system.

SkyMap's Evening Sky Map

Nice PDF maps of the current evening sky, with calendar, moon and planets, and object descriptions.

Telrad Messier Maps

If you use a Telrad on your visual telescope (recommended!), you will find these maps useful.

AstroConn Observing Targets

For more advanced observers, a listing of objects to search out.

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Observational Astrophysics Home Page
Virginia Tech Physics Department