Things are looking up
AS INTERNATIONAL DARK SKY WEEK APPROACHES, LIBBY PLUMMER LOOKS AT HOW THE LATEST STARGAZING TECH CAN HELP YOU GET THROUGH THE FINAL FEW MONTHS OF LOCKDOWN
WITH lockdown making our Earth-based worlds feel much smaller, it’s no wonder people have been seeking solace in the stars. From constellations like Orion to the planet Mars, there’s a lot you can see with the naked eye. The latest game-changing, stargazing tech is making it even easier to get involved from the comfort of your own home, and as International Dark Sky Week hoves into view (it runs from April 5 to 12), now is the perfect time to prep your tech.
GETTING STARTED
As cool as the top new telescopes are (more on those later), beginners don’t need to spend a fortune on one to enjoy the wonders of the universe.
‘While tech is making stargazing much simpler and easier, there’s no need to rush out and spend hundreds of pounds straight away,’ says Abigail Beall, New Scientist stargazing columnist and author of The Art Of Urban Astronomy. ‘Before
buying a telescope, the first thing I’d suggest is a stargazing app that will show you what you’re looking at. There are loads of free or very cheap apps that will tell you exactly what you’re looking at just by holding your phone in front of you – it means you no longer need to memorise what the planets are doing this month or learn how to star-hop to reach a certain constellation.
‘Once you’re interested enough, get a pair of binoculars first. They’ll open your eyes to so many things in the sky, like the craters on the moon.’
If you really want to keep it simple, then the Build Your Own cardboard telescope (£19.99) is a low-cost option and ideal for young space fans.
If it’s all about Insta, the AI-powered night sight mode on the Google Pixel 4a 5G (from £399) ‘makes it easier to snap incredible astrophotography shots,’ says Beall. All you need to do is hold the camera still while it works its celestial magic. Resting the phone on a sturdy surface, ideally a tripod, gives the best results.
The Nikon Action EX 12x50 CF binoculars (£199), meanwhile, offer a wide field of view that’s ideal for stargazing and they’re also waterproof, which is good news for dealing with the Great British weather. ather. And talking of rain…
‘It’s important to stay tay comfortable and warm,’ rm,’ says Beall. ‘My hotwater bottle is my best friend when stargazing, and camping chairs are also great.’
Who says stargazing isn’t glamorous?
THE HI-TECH TELESCOPIC WONDERS
If you want to dive straight into the most hi-tech telescope on the block, then the major new arrival is the Vespera, a clever smart telescope-camera hybrid.
Created by French start-up Vaonis, the Vespera aims to make amateur ast astronomy and ast astrophotography easi easier than ever and has al already won a Best of Innovation I award at this ye year’s virtual CES tech fest fest. It’s even been given the thumbs up by former Nasa astronauts Scott Kelly and Terry Virts.
Sporting a cool futuristic design, the device is controlled by a smartphone app and uses ses GPS to pinpoint celestial objects cts in the night sky, which you can then snap and share on social media. Crowdfunded on Kickstarter, the Vespera is now on pre-order for €1,499 (about £1,200) for delivery later this year. Making the whole process quick and easy is the key here.
‘Would you want to observe a galaxy if you knew that you need at least 30 minutes just to prepare your equipment?’ asks Vaonis founder and CEO Cyril Dupuy. ‘Vespera is ready in less than three minutes.’
Not only does the mini ex exploration station’s app automatically point the device at your chosen star, constellation or galaxy, it’s also packed with fascinating details about each on one.
‘As we say among amateur astronomers, the best telescope is the one we use the most,’ says Dupuy. ‘For that, it must be simple and teach us thing things.’
Another option is the NexStar 8SE (£1,38 (£1,389) from established American telescope maker Celestron. A cutting-edge update to a classic design from the 1970s, the NexStar 8 8SE packs an on-board computer with a database featuring with, planets plan and other celestial objects objects. What’s more, you can control the telescope’s movement by iPhone or iPad.
For a telescope that’s (a little) more affordable, the user-friendly Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 80AZ (£179) is ideal for beginners. Packing a smartphone dock, the telescope uses a dedicated iOS or Android app to easily pinpoint objects in the night sky without the need for wi-fi or a phone signal.
IS IT DARK ENOUGH?
You might have all the kit but is stargazing actually possible in a huge, brightly lit metropolis like London or Manchester?
‘The key thing is to minimise light pollution as much as possible,’ says Beall. ‘You’re never going to get away from it fully in a city but that’s fine, you can still see amazing things in the sky – planets, meteors, satellites and the brightest stars. If you live near a park, you could try going there if you feel safe doing so. If you live in a flat with access to a roof, that’s also a great option. Otherwise, just go to the highest part of your house, turn all your indoor lights off and look out of your window.’
It’s important to give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness so that night vision can kick in. If you’re using an iPhone app you can combat the screen’s glare by adding a red filter to the display using the accessibility settings. For Android users, there are apps that do the same thing. While light pollution in cities doesn’t completely block our view of the stars, it certainly doesn’t help. It can also disrupt wildlife as well as our own sleep.
The International Dark-Sky Association (IDA), a non-profit organisation, is tackling the problem head on, aiming to reduce light pollution around the globe while designating Dark Sky Places – areas with very little light pollution – which are perfect for stargazing. The UK has more of these dark sky sites, compared to its population, than anywhere else outside the US.
‘Getting out there when you can, even in highly light-polluted cities, you can find areas where you can still see some of the stars,’ says Paul Gregory, a technical committee member of the IDA’s UK arm. ‘And when you get the opportunity to go further afield and into the countryside, it’s an awesome experience’.
For more details about International Dark Sky Week visit idsw.darksky.org Also see darksky.org