Telescopes are specialist optical instruments that have been around for over 400 years and are useful for many applications including seafaring, military operations and especially stargazing. But not ...

Why build a telescope? YOLO, as the kids say. Having decided that, one must decide what type of far-seer one will construct.

Buying a telescope, like buying a car or stereo equipment, is subject to your tastes as a consumer. In other words, the choice is up to you — but Astronomy can provide some guidelines to make your ...

As of 2013, the largest reflecting telescope in the world is the Gran Telescopio Canarias in La Palma, Spain, with a mirror diameter of 34.2 feet (10.4 meters). Within a decade, much larger telescopes ...

The first telescopes, known as refracting telescopes, were built in the early 17th century by Dutch eyeglass makers. They employed a pair of lenses—one convex fitted at the end of the scope, and one ...

For nearly as long as we've walked the Earth, humans have tried to make sense of the stars. Now, three new sky-gazing tools are poised to tell us even more. Each will play a unique role in deciphering ...

Construction plans for the largest telescope on Earth remain uncertain, but a possible alternative future for the Thirty Meter Telescope project is beginning to take shape. Plans for the massive ...

Inside the Eisenhower Community Center, up a steep metal ladder and beyond a small latch door, a group of explorers hunkered below the rooftop dome while waiting for their tour to begin. First stop: ...