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Galileoscope Refractor Telescope STEM Kit with Solar Filter

$83.95

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- Olivia 

"Absolutely love this Galileoscope telescope kit! Building it was a breeze, and now I can enjoy stunning views of the lunar surface and even Jupiter's moons. A must-have for any astronomy enthusiast!".| Verified Purchase"

Main Benefits:

  • Aperture & Focal Length: The Galileoscope telescope kit features a 50mm objective diameter and a 500mm focal length, providing users with a compact yet powerful refractor telescope suitable for observing celestial objects.
  • Mount type: This telescope kit includes a simple alt-azimuth mount, offering easy and intuitive control for navigating the night sky. The alt-azimuth mount allows for smooth movement in both vertical (altitude) and horizontal (azimuth) directions, providing flexibility and stability during observation sessions.
  • Optics: Equipped with a 25x eyepiece and a custom accessory that can be assembled as a 2x Barlow lens for 50x magnification or a 17x Galilean eyepiece, this telescope kit offers versatile viewing options for users. The optics are designed to deliver clear and detailed views of celestial objects, enabling users to explore the wonders of the universe with ease and precision.

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 Features

  • Comes with a build-it-yourself solar filter!
  • Galileoscope telescope kit includes all of the parts and instructions needed for young explorers to build their own 50mm refractor
  • Assembly is quick and requires no tools or adhesives
  • Enjoy views of the lunar surface, Jupiter’s Galilean moons, Saturn’s rings and bright star clusters
  • Kit includes a 25x eyepiece and a custom accessory that can be assembled as a 2x Barlow lens for a power of 50x or a 17x Galilean eyepiece with a right-side-up field of view less than 1/2° wide so the user can experience the views Galileo had of the expansive night sky
  • Learn basic optical concepts, including how lenses form images and how magnification affects field of view

Description

Turn your Galileoscope into a solar telescope with this build-it-yourself solar filter! This easy-to-assemble solar filter is designed to fit snugly inside the dew shield of a Galileoscope allowing users to safely observe the Sun. The solar film used in the filter is strong, highly resistant to tears and punctures and produces consistent yellow-orange solar images.


Created as a cornerstone project for the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA), the Galileoscope telescope kit solved a long-standing problem: the lack of a high-quality, low-cost kit suitable for both optics education and celestial observation. The Galileoscope was also a cornerstone project of the 2015 International Year of Light (IYL).


Over the course of the project managed by volunteers and promoted mainly through word-of-mouth, more than a quarter-million Galileoscope kits have been distributed to teachers, students, and other enthusiasts in more than 110 countries for science education and public outreach.  


The program was only expected to last through the IYA, but the global astronomy education and outreach community loved the kit and asked its creators (Stephen M. Pompea, Richard Tresch Fienberg, Douglas N. Arion, Thomas C. Smith, and Douglas Isbell) to keep it in production, and after nearly ten years of serving the educational STEM community that team was preparing to wind down.


But the demand by the educational community has remained strong, and a search ensued to find a worthy successor of the Galileoscope.  Explore Scientific was approached in late 2018 to take over manufacturing and distribution, and we both felt the project was a good fit for Explore Scientific.
Now we can ensure that educators and students around the world can continue the legacy of unlocking the learning process of exploring the universe with telescopes that people assemble themselves with the original Galileoscope Kit!

Video

Specs

Item Number GSCOPE
Objective diameter 50 mm (2 inches)
Objective focal length 500 mm (f/10)
Eyepiece focal length 20 mm
Magnification 25x (50x with Barlow)
Field of view 1 1/2° (3/4° with Barlow)
Eyepiece eye relief 16 mm (22 mm with Barlow)
Eyepiece barrel diameter 1 1/4 inches (31 3/4 mm)

Warranty

Limited Warranty is one year, which converts to the Explore STAR Transferable Extended Life of the Product Warranty when product is registered within 60 days of purchase.

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Galileoscope Refractor Telescope STEM Kit with Solar Filter

Sunlit Explorations Await

Embark on a journey of discovery with our Galileoscope DIY Solar Filter.

Crafted for the 2024 eclipse and beyond, this build-it-yourself filter lets you witness the awe-inspiring spectacle of the Sun's radiance safely and securely.

Galileoscope Refractor Telescope STEM Kit - GSCOPE

Educational Ingenuity

Dive into the realms of optics and astronomy with our Galileoscope telescope kit.

With its quick assembly and no-tool requirement, young explorers can construct their own 50mm refractor, learning about lenses, magnification, and the wonders of the cosmos along the way.

Galileoscope Refractor Telescope STEM Kit with Solar Filter

Continuing the Legacy

Join us in preserving the spirit of scientific exploration. Originally conceived for the International Year of Astronomy, the Galileoscope project has touched lives worldwide.

Now, with Explore Scientific at the helm, we're ensuring that the legacy lives on, empowering educators and students to unlock the mysteries of the universe.


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If for any reason you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, within 30 days of placing your order, we will refund you for your purchase with no questions asked.

Aperture size is the diameter of the main lens or mirror in a telescope, and it is the most important factor in determining how much light the telescope can gather. More light means brighter and more detailed images. Generally, larger apertures are better, but they also tend to be more expensive and bulkier.

Magnification is important for making objects appear larger, but it does not create more detail. Aperture is more important for determining the overall quality of the image, including its brightness, resolution, and contrast. However, magnification can still be useful for getting a closer look at specific features of an object that you can already see with lower magnification.

All telescopes are affected by light pollution to some extent, but Dobsonians and reflectors are generally less affected than refractors. This is because refractors have more internal surfaces where light can bounce around and cause glare. If you live in an area with a lot of light pollution, you may want to consider a Dobsonian or reflector, or find a dark observing location.

The essential accessories for your telescope will depend on your specific needs and interests. However, some common recommendations include:
Extra eyepieces: This will allow you to change the magnification of your telescope to suit different observing conditions and objects.
A finder scope: This is a small, low-power telescope that helps you aim the main telescope at the correct area of the sky.
A collimation kit: This is used to adjust the alignment of the mirrors in a reflector telescope.
A star chart or planisphere: This will help you identify objects in the night sky.

Dobsonian telescopes are generally the easiest to set up, as they typically only require placing them on the ground and aligning the finder scope. Refractors and reflectors may require more assembly and alignment, but the process is not overly complicated. Many telescopes come with instructions and online resources can also be helpful.

You may need a few basic tools, such as a screwdriver or Allen wrench, to assemble some telescopes. However, you do not need any special knowledge to get started. There are many resources available to help you learn how to use your telescope, such as online tutorials, books, and astronomy clubs.

Here is a general guide to what you can expect to see under typical observing conditions with different telescope apertures:

50mm-70mm: You can see the phases of Venus, the moons of Jupiter, and some brighter deep sky objects like the Andromeda Galaxy and the Orion Nebula.
70mm-100mm: You can see more detail in the planets, including the rings of Saturn and the cloud bands on Jupiter. You can also see more faint deep sky objects.
100mm+: You can start to see more challenging deep sky objects, such as galaxies, nebulae, and star clusters. You can also see more detail in fainter objects like comets and asteroids.

We are often advised that you are able to see them through any small telescope, or even binoculars. But you really need a telescope with at least 40 times magnification to clearly see the detail of the rings as separate from the planet. And the bigger the telescope, the better.

For Galactic Observations: A reflecting telescope with a larger aperture (150mm-250mm) and a moderate focal length (750mm-1250mm) is ideal for capturing distant galaxies. Telescopes such as the Orion XT8 or the Celestron Advanced VX 8" offer excellent light-gathering capabilities and versatility.

Optical telescopes, for example, can see objects up to billions of light-years away, while radio telescopes can detect signals from even further distances. However, when it comes to observing the universe's earliest moments, telescopes can only see so far.

In general, a top-quality 4-inch refractor shows deep-sky objects about as well as a 5-inch reflector or catadioptric, and might even do a bit better on the planets. Most telescopes with apertures of 80 mm or less are refractors.

Refractor Telescopes: Refractors use lenses to gather and focus light, offering crisp and clear images. They are excellent for planetary observation due to their ability to provide high contrast and detailed views.

Some of the most newly detected objects may be over 13 billion light years away, as derived from a standard model of the Universe. However, a powerful new generation of telescopes, like the James Webb Space Telescope, will be needed to confirm the suspected distances of these objects.

The most important aspect of any telescope is its aperture, the diameter of its main optical component, which can be either a lens or a mirror. A scope's aperture determines both its light-gathering ability (how bright the image appears) and its resolving power (how sharp the image appears).

The telescope you want has two essentials: high-quality optics and a steady, smoothly working mount. And all other things being equal, big scopes show more and are easier to use than small ones, as we'll see below. But don't overlook portability and convenience — the best scope for you is the one you'll actually use.

With just a small or medium-sized telescope, skygazers can easily observe planets. You'll be surprised how much of our solar system you can see! And you don't need a dark sky to view all of our solar system's planets; even under city lights, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can be easy to see with a telescope.

In summary: Refractors generally have the edge over reflectors for a quality image, both from the standpoint of lens/mirror quality and precision optical mountings, and lack of central obscurations.


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