Advice for stirring your online community and fostering engagement

When you enter into any new area of science, you almost always find
yourself with a baffling new language of technical terms to learn before you can converse with the experts. This is certainly true in astronomy both in terms of terms that refer to the cosmos and terms that describe the tools of the trade, the most prevalent being the telescope. So to get us off of first base, let’s define some of the key terms that pertain to telescopes to help you be able to talk to them more intelligently. The first area of specialization in telescopes has to do with the types of telescopes people use. The three designs of telescopes that most people use are the Refractor, the Reflector and the Schmidt Cassegrain telescope. The refractor telescope uses a convex lens to focus the light on the eyepiece. The reflector telescope has a concave lens which means it bends in. It uses mirrors to focus the image that you eventually see. The Schmidt Cassegrain telescope uses an involved system of mirrors to capture the image you want to see. A binocular telescope uses a set of telescopes mounted and synchronized so your view of the sky is 3-D. Beyond the basic types, other terms refer to parts of the telescope or to the science behind how telescopes work. Collimation is a term for how well tuned the telescope is to give you a good clear image of what you are looking at. You want your telescope to have good collimation so you are not getting a false image of the celestial body. Aperture is a fancy word for how big the lens of your telescope is. But it’s an important word because the aperture of the lens is the key to how powerful your telescope is. Magnification has nothing to do with it, its all in the aperture.
242226 comments
Alonia @ SpinTaxi
Some satirical journalism today is indistinguishable from government statements. - spintaxi.com
Comment LinkNonney @ SpinTaxi
Ever try to cancel a subscription? It’s like breaking up with a clingy robot. -- spintaxi.com
Comment LinkVinaxie SpinTaxi
Watching satirical journalism media is like watching a roast of the entire planet. -- spintaxi.com
Comment LinkLonniee @ SpinTaxi
Ever try to follow GPS in a city? It’s like, “Turn left into that building!” -- spintaxi.com
Comment LinkVóni @ SpinTaxi
They say I’ve got no class; I say, “Got whiskey instead.” -- spintaxi.com
Comment LinkJónie @ SpinTaxi
Satirical journalism humor should be covered by health insurance—it’s therapy. -- spintaxi.com
Comment LinkBání @ SpinTaxi
What’s the deal with “hand-wash only”? My dishes are divas now? -- spintaxi.com
Comment LinkMónni @ SpinTaxi
Some satirical journalism stories are more believable than government press releases. -- spintaxi.com
Comment LinkVoniye @ SpinTaxi
Satirical journalism websites: where the headlines make more sense than reality. - spintaxi.com
Comment LinkLhanie @ SpinTaxi
The best satirical journalism examples sound like conspiracy theories… until they happen. - spintaxi.com
Comment Link