Telescopes act as windows to the universe. It is with the help of telescopes that we can study the solar system and view the conjunctions of stars. Not just that, the various planets, galaxies, satellites and asteroids that we get to see only in the books and magazines are made more familiar to us via the telescopes. They act as barrier- breaking instruments between the human beings and the outer space. The universe is no more a mystery to us that exists beyond our reach and we owe it all to the telescopes.
The modern day telescopes bring with them a wide array of accessories and it is with the aid of these accessories that it becomes much more easier to successfully put the telescopes into proper use. Let us see what are the important accessories that go well and are a must-have for most telescope users: -
Filters- These are very essential for telescope users because they reduce the glare on the eyepiece and scatter the light thereby making it less strenuous for us to view distant objects.
Eyepiece- this is a very important piece of equipment and its absence can render a telescope useless. Eyepieces come in a variety of sizes and if you add more than one eyepiece to your telescopes then you can have the pleasure of viewing even the tiniest and distant objects with clarity.
Mounts- Mounts are the stands for telescopes. It is a mount on which the telescope rests. Since a telescope wont function favorably in vibrations therefore you should ensure that it is placed on a stable mount.
Barlow lens- A Barlow lens helps in the magnification of telescopes. These lenses are available in different sizes and we must be careful in choosing the size that best fits the eyepiece.
There are two main types of telescopes, the refractor (Galileo) telescopes and the reflector (Newton) telescopes. The refractor telescope uses an objective lens that bends the light towards the eyepiece. While the reflector telescope uses a mirror, which collects the light and then directs it towards the eyepiece.
Though both the refractors as well as the reflector telescopes are easily available in the market we should take the following points into consideration before buying a telescope.
Do not get impressed by the magnification of the telescopes. This is because magnification alone is of no use if it just produces large but hazy images.
Aperture- This is the most important factor while deciding on a telescope. Aperture is the opening that collects light so its important to choose a telescope with a larger aperture that will ensure a clearer and a more detailed image quality.
Resolution- This enables the telescopes to produce a more detailed image. So always opt for a telescope, which has a higher resolution. Moreover since resolution is also determined by the aperture, therefore the larger the aperture the better the resolution.
Focal length- The distance between the optical center of the lens or the mirror and the optical center of the eyepiece is known as the focal length. The focal length is what determines the magnification in telescopes. Larger focal lengths imply more magnification.
If we are careful about remembering the above points then it wont take us long to choose a telescope the next time we want to buy one for ourselves.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) together with similar national authorities throughout the world have introduced legal definitions and regulations for the production and marketing of Supplements that must be observed.
In the US the Dietary Supplement Health And Education Act of 1994 gives the following definition:-
The term Dietary Supplement means a product (other than tobacco) intended to supplement the diet that bears or contains one or more of the following dietary ingredients:
(A)A vitamin. (B) A mineral. (C)An herb or other botanical. (D)An amino acid. (E)A dietary substance for use by man to supplement the diet by increasing the dietary intake. (F)A concentrate, metabolite, constituent, extract, or combination of any ingredient described in clause (A), (B), (C), (D), or (E).
Supplements are intended to be taken by mouth in the form of a pill, capsule, tablet or liquid.
The product should be clearly labeled on the front panel as being a dietary product.
Unlike the labels of drug manufacturers that may claim their product will diagnose, cure, alleviate, mitigate, treat or prevent a disease, the labels of dietary supplements may only feature that the product has health benefits, nutrient content claims or structure/function claims.
This legislation has been introduced in the US to ensure that manufacturers and distributors do not mislead the public with false or misleading information.
It is a sensible precaution to check that the labels of any supplement packaging broadly comply with the FDA requirements irrespective of the country of origin or intended purchase.
Supplements. Who should take them and why. In the United States studies have shown that roughly half the adult population take a daily multivitamin/mineral supplement. There has also been some debate over whether this is a safe and effective or a harmful practice with inconclusive results.
Many medical practitioners take the view that a daily regime of pharmaceutical grade multivitamins can at worst do no harm and can be a benefit in supplementing the vitamins we should be absorbing from a healthy diet.
So just how healthy is our diet?
It does not matter how much so called healthy eating we do and by that we mean natural fresh fruit, fish, vegetables and meat and the avoidance of all processed or preserved food the inescapable fact is that the vitamin and mineral levels in all foods, unless produced by strictly organic farming, are diminishing year by year.
Many studies have shown that the average American is not getting enough nutrients and as a result there is an ever increasing number suffering from chronic diseases, and that includes a growing number of younger people suffering from ailments such as high blood pressure and diabetes previously considered as adult diseases.
So many in the US are grossly overweight due to the over consumption of food that it is hard to appreciate that they are not absorbing adequate quantities of vitamins and other essential nutrients.
The problem has arisen due to the fact that intensive farming methods, the application of chemical fertilizers, the spraying of pesticides, and the use of preservatives to extend the storage and shelf life of fruit and vegetables have all contributed to the loss of essential nutrients in those foods that we take for granted are good for our health and well being.
For example researchers have found Hamburgers that contain traces of up to one hundred pesticides and Broccoli that contains only one sixth of the amount of calcium compared to fifty years ago.
Dealing with all these toxins and deficiencies adds a further load to the bodies already diminished reserves of vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients.
As it has been shown that taking a daily pharmaceutical grade multivitamin and mineral supplement is most unlikely to any harm, it seems obvious that this is becoming increasingly vital to the maintenance of a healthy lifestyle and the avoidance of debilitating chronic diseases.
We strongly believe and advocate that everybody should consider taking a regular dietary supplement and wherever possible eat only organically farmed produce.
Both Byran Kempa & Jaks Lloyd are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jaks Lloyd has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pregnancy Problems, Boxing and Health. Jacqueline Lloyd is the author of this article which appears in her definitive website Hot Exercise. Jaks Lloyd's top article generates over 33100 views. to your Favourites.