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Entering the
world of astronomy
Binoculars such as the Victory 32 T*
FL and Victory 42 T* FL, as well
as spotting scopes such as the
Diascope 65 T* FL and Diascope 85
T* FL, are ideal for uncomplicated
viewing of the night sky and bring
viewers a good deal closer to the
heavens. Compared to a telescope,
binoculars and spotting scopes are
more versatile: they can be used to
easily observe objects in the bush or
the heavens and can accompany
their owners on vacation without
taking up a lot of space. A suitable
stand is recommended for comfortable,
vibration-free viewing of the
night sky at high magnification.
In addition to optics, a good star
map is required to see heavenly objects
– after all, you have to know
exactly where to look.
Innovation 16, Carl Zeiss AG, 2005
Sun, moon and
stars
Larger sunspots and groups of sunspots
can also be seen if the right
precautions are taken. Never look
directly at the sun with binoculars or
a spotting scope. This can result in
serious, permanent damage to the
eye – including blindness! Protective
equipment such as a solar filter or foil
must be placed in front of the lens to
view the sun directly. The solar projection
method is always preferable
to direct viewing.
The largest craters on the moon
can be seen. Secondary moonlight –
sunlight reflected from the earth that
brightens the dark side of the moon
– is particularly easy to see shortly
before or after a new moon when it
appears as a thin sickle in the sky.
High-power binoculars are sufficient
to view Venus and all its phases.
Jupiter’s four largest moons can also
be seen.
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Astrology
Astrology (Greek, – knowledge of
the stars) must not be confused with astronomy.
In the geocentric view of astrology, a systematic
anthropological-mythological interpretation of the
position of certain celestial bodies is made: the
elements of the horoscope, for example, relate to
the position and point in time on earth.
Astronomy
Astronomy (Greek, – the regularity of
the stars, from , ástro – star and , nómos
– the law) is the science of measuring the motions
of celestial bodies.
Aside from the planets and fixed stars, these include
the sun, star clusters, galaxies, galaxy clusters,
interstellar matter and radiation in outer space.
Geocentric (Ptolemaic) view
of the world
The long-held geocentric view of the world is
commonly attributed to Greek mathematician,
geographer, and astronomer Klaudios Ptolemaios
(87-150 A.D.) who built on the earlier work of
Hipparchus (196-125 B.C.). It saw the earth as the
center of the universe surrounded by seven stars –
Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn as well
as the sun and the moon. The position of all
other stars in the sky was fixed leading to the term
of “fixed star”.
Heliocentric view of the world
The heliocentric view of the world (Greek, helios:
the sun; kentron: center) is the notion that the earth,
like the other planets, moves about the sun. Heliocentric
views of the world existed no later than in the
4 th century B.C.: Aristotle wrote in De Caelo (book 2,
chapter 13): “In the center, they – the Pythagoreans –
say there is fire and the earth is one of the stars
creating night and day by circular motions around
the center.”
In 1842, the American pioneer of astrophotography,
John William Draper (1811-1882), was the first to
take a photographic image (daguerreotype) of the
solar spectrum.
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