SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – October skies can bring crisp, clear, starry nights. When you’re away from light pollution and your eyes have time to adjust to darkness, the heavens come alive.
There are actually several ways you can get a better look than with the naked eye. Of course a telescope is going to be your best bet, and Ed Overstreet, an amateur expert in astronomy, says that a reflector telescope can be cost and user friendly.
“A reflector has no lens at all. It just gathers light, and it puts it into a small beam. Light comes in and hits the primary mirror then it goes back and hits a secondary mirror and then it becomes even more finite as it hits the focus plane,” Overstreet explained.
He said refractor telescopes are another option.
If you have a DSLR camera, that can also work well on long exposure and manual focus to see how the sky changes overnight.
Many of us have a pair of binoculars, and these can also help show detail of the moon — and even Saturn with a more powerful pair.
No matter what you choose, Overstreet recommends going to a star party that’s held once per month off of Highway 11 near Furman.
There will be telescopes set up and lots of enthusiastic support for your new hobby! Contact the Roper Mountain Science Center for more details.
