INDEX
In the early 17th century Italian Scientist Galileo, using
a crude telescope considerably smaller than the LS,
turned it to look towards the sky instead of distant trees
and mountains. What he saw, and what he realized
about what he saw, forever changed the way mankind
thought of the universe. Imagine what it must have been
like being the fi rst human to see moons revolve around
the planet Jupiter or to see the changing phases of
Venus! Because of his observations, Galileo correctly
realized Earth’s movement and position around the
Sun, and in doing so, gave birth to modern astronomy.
Yet Galileo’s telescope was so crude, he could not
clearly make out the rings of Saturn.
Galileo’s discoveries laid the foundation for
understanding the motion and nature of the planets,
stars, and galaxies. Building on his foundation, Henrietta
Leavitt determined how to measure the distance to stars;
Edwin Hubble proposed a glimpse into the origin of the
universe; Albert Einstein unraveled the relationship
of time and light. Almost daily, using sophisticated
successors to Galileo’s crude telescope, such as the
Hubble Space Telescope, more and more mysteries of
the universe are being solved and understood. We are
living in a golden age of astronomy.
Unlike other sciences, astronomy welcomes
contributions from amateurs. Much of the knowledge
we have on subjects such as comets, meteor showers,
variable stars, the Moon and our solar system comes
from observations made by amateur astronomers. So
as you look through your Meade LS telescope, keep
Galileo in mind. To him, a telescope was not merely a
machine made of glass and metal, but something far
more - a window through which the beating heart of the
universe might be observed.
Objects in Space
Listed below are some of the many astronomical
objects that can be seen with the LS
BASIC ASTRONOMY
APPENDIX C:
The Moon
is, on average,
a distance of 239,000 miles
(380,000km) from Earth
and is best observed during
its crescent or half phase
when Sunlight strikes the
Moon’s surface at an angle.
It casts shadows and adds
a sense of depth to the
view. No shadows are seen
during a full Moon, causing
the overly bright Moon
to appear fl at and rather
uninteresting through the
telescope. Be sure to use a neutral Moon fi lter when
observing the Moon. Not only does it protect your eyes
from the bright glare of the Moon, but it also helps
enhance contrast, providing a more dramatic image.
Using the LS, brilliant detail can be observed on the
Moon, including hundreds of lunar craters and maria,
described below.
Craters
are round meteor impact sites covering most
of the Moon’s surface. With no atmosphere on the
Moon, no weather conditions exist, so the only erosive
force is meteor strikes. Under these conditions, lunar
craters can last for millions of years.
Maria
(plural for mare) are smooth, dark areas scattered
across the lunar surface. These dark areas are large
ancient impact basins that were fi lled with lava from
the interior of the Moon by the depth and force of a
meteor or comet impact.
Twelve Apollo astronauts left their bootprints on the
Moon in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. However,
no telescope on Earth is able to see these footprints or
any other artifacts. In fact, the smallest lunar features
that may be seen with the largest telescope on Earth
are about one-half mile across.
BASIC ASTRONOMY
39
