No, it is not. There are many simple ways to build either small optical telescopes or small radio telescopes. If you want to go to the level of grinding your own glass lenses or mirrors, then that can be a bit advanced. However, you can buy all manner of lenses off the internet. With the additional of an empty toilet roll, you can build a small telescope that will be about as good as the one used by Galileo 400 years ago to discover Sun spots, the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus and many other things. If you google “build a small telescope” you will find lots of hits with instructions and suggestions. You can even build simple radio telescopes, which are also very interesting. With some wire and a radio receiver, you can monitor solar flares and watch the Milky Way galaxy cross the sky every day. In fact, if you have ever seen static on your TV set at home, most of that static is caused by the radio emission of our Galaxy and by background radio emission from the Universe. So, in some sense, your TV is a radio telescope! Have a look at this site for the plans to build a simple radio telescope, http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/, or again google “build a simple radio telescope” for lots of suggestions.
One of the cool things about science is being able to make your own instruments to keep exploring things around you. I just learnt another thing – thanks Steven and blahblah.
No, it is not. There are many simple ways to build either small optical telescopes or small radio telescopes. If you want to go to the level of grinding your own glass lenses or mirrors, then that can be a bit advanced. However, you can buy all manner of lenses off the internet. With the additional of an empty toilet roll, you can build a small telescope that will be about as good as the one used by Galileo 400 years ago to discover Sun spots, the moons of Jupiter, the phases of Venus and many other things. If you google “build a small telescope” you will find lots of hits with instructions and suggestions. You can even build simple radio telescopes, which are also very interesting. With some wire and a radio receiver, you can monitor solar flares and watch the Milky Way galaxy cross the sky every day. In fact, if you have ever seen static on your TV set at home, most of that static is caused by the radio emission of our Galaxy and by background radio emission from the Universe. So, in some sense, your TV is a radio telescope! Have a look at this site for the plans to build a simple radio telescope, http://radiojove.gsfc.nasa.gov/, or again google “build a simple radio telescope” for lots of suggestions.
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