Tools for Astronomy

Tools & Equipment for Astronomy & Space Exploration

From Skymaps to Spaceships, Telescopes to Robots, find information on all the equipment and tools needed for astronomy and space exploration. Learn about the hardware and software and Tools and equipment used by astronomers and astronauts. Tools and equipment for the space age.

NASA Spinoffs - Inventions Benefiting Our Daily Lives - Apollo Spinoff Inventions
Every day, in a variety of ways, American lives are touched by space technology. Since 1976, about 1,400 documented NASA inventions have benefited U.S. industry, improved the quality of life and created jobs for Americans. The Apollo program has helped change the way of life in America, especially in health care. Here are some of the inventions contributed by the Apollo program.

SETI At Home (Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence)
SETI@home is a scientific experiment that uses Internet-connected computers in the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). You can participate by running a free program that downloads and analyzes radio telescope data. Join your About Space Guide in this important endeavor. First, download the software and install it on your computer.

Top Beginner's Telescopes Guide between $500 and $1000
If you have spent some time observing the sky with your naked eyes and a pair of binoculars, you may be ready to move on up to telescopes. As in most things in life, you typically get what you pay for. If you are looking for better telescopes to start out with, one which might carry you from a beginner to intermediate stargazer, check out these beginner's telescopes ranging from $500 to $1000.

Top Beginner's Telescopes Guide over $1000
If you have spent some time observing the sky with your naked eyes and a pair of binoculars, you may be ready to move on up to a telescope. As in most things in life, you typically get what you pay for. If you are looking for a better telescope to start out with, one which might carry you from a beginner to intermediate stargazer, check out these beginner's telescopes over $1000.

Top Telescopes for Kids - Discover Telescopes For Kids and Children That Won't Break the Bank
Everyone has to start somewhere. Star your kids off right with quality telescopes at good prices. Check here for some great reflectors and refractors. Less expensive telescopes.

How to Buy a Telescope
So, you've been stargazing for a while with your naked eye or binoculars and you want to move up to a telescope. Buying a telescope is one of the biggest decisions for an amateur astronomer. If you are not really sure how to buy a telescope, it can be a daunting task. Follow these simple steps and we'll tell you how to buy a telescope.

Hubble Space Telescope - Facts & Figures
NASA named the world's first space-based optical telescope after American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble (1889–1953). Dr. Hubble confirmed an "expanding" universe, which provided the foundation for the Big Bang theory. Hubble's two mirrors were ground so that they do not deviate from a perfect curve by more than 1/800,000ths of an inch. If Hubble’s primary mirror were scaled up to the diameter of the Earth, the biggest bump would be only six inches tall.