My first telescope was a 2.5-inch Gilbert reflector my parents bought for me in about 1964. It wasn't easy to use, but I remember looking at the moon, Mars and Saturn with it.

Hardly! In a past column (April 2011), I sang the praises of my first astronomical telescope, Edmund Scientific’s Space Conqueror, a 3-inch f/10 reflector.

Sometimes a new telescope can seem like a fun tool, but to get the most out of it, you'll need to use it safely and correctly.

How do scientists determine who gets to use the most powerful space telescope ever launched? A practice called dual-anonymous peer review has shaped the process.

The problem in using a normal solar filter with a reflector is that, because the telescope’s secondary mirror and support are at the front end of the telescope, they interfere with the light and ...