Frank is from Dragonlasers at http://www.dragonlasers.com
Green laser pointers and Astronomy
There is nothing more frustrating in astronomy that than unsuccessfully trying to identifying an object in the night sky to a companion by waving your arms, pointing fingers, describing and gestulating. An elegant, simple and very effective solution to this problem is to use green lasers pointers to point out objects in the sky.
Green laser pointers are high technology gadgets that are becoming more and more popular in astronomy. Not only are green laser pointers ideal for pointing out celestial objects, they are also very useful for aligning telescopes and for atrophotography.
Why green laser pointers
Green laser pointers are the preferred laser pointer color for astronomy because green is the most visible laser pointer color. The reason why green is more visible is the human eye is most sensitive to green light. The other reason is the effect of light in the earth's atmosphere. Light is visible in the sky when the atmosphere scatters it and higher wavelengths are scattered more than higher wavelengths. Green is a medium wavelength so it scatters more and is more visible than longer wavelengths such as red.
Other applications
Using green laser pointers to point out celestial object to people next to you is not the only application for laser pointers in astronomy. A green laser pointer can also be mounted on a telescope using a bracket or by holding the laser by hand in the groove parallel to the telescopes optical axis. The green laser pointer beam clearly shows where the telescope is pointing and the object being viewed through the telescope.
A green laser pointer mounted on a telescope can also makes aligning the telescope to a celestial object much faster and easier.
How powerful should the laser pointer be?
Green laser pointers can range in power levels from 1mW all the way to 200mW so deciding which power level to use can be tricky. The points to consider when choosing the power level for an astronomy laser are
-The number of people star gazing with you. If it is just one person, a low power such as 5mW will be suitable. If you are stargazing with a large group of people who will not be standing next to you, the laser needs to be more visible so a high power level such as 100mW would be suitable.
-The level of ambient light. If you are stargazing at dawn/dusk, during a full moon or in built up areas where there is a lot of light pollution, a low powered beam such as 5mW would be harder to see. You would generally need at least 50mW or more in this kind of situation.
Higher powered laser pointers are not always better because any glare from them can easily ruin your night vision and can provide a distraction. Many stargazing nights have been ruined when people have been paying more attention to the new and exotic high power laser used to point out objects than the actual objects themselves.
Caution
Deliberately pointing a laser at aircraft is a very serious offence in every country so avoid star gazing near airports and do not use a laser when there is an aircraft in the section of the sky being viewed.
Article is courtesy of Dragonlasers - No 1 lasers, laser pointer and green laser online store
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Adjustable Fiber Optic Digital Light Power Attenuator
- A buyer’s guide to LED Lighting Power Supplies
- Solar Spot Lights: Powerful Night Lighting
- Sekhem Seichim Egyptian Reiki Light - Powerful Healing Energy Saves Time and Money Spent on Doctors and Pills
- Solar Powered Landscape Lighting
- The Correct Way To Use Solar Lights
- Solar Power Lighting - How To Use The Sun To Brighten The Night
- Industrial Fluorescent Lighting




Apps Touch
By: ballmdr | 25/12/2009While the App Store had clearly been a huge success in 2008, the continued growth and explosion of iPhone game releases in 2009 was beyond everyone’s expectations. The number of apps in the App Store soared past 100,000 with hundreds of new games being released every day.
SONY PSP 4000 is Going to Release | PSP4000 Release Date and Price|Ishopvideogame
By: ishop videogame | 25/12/2009As an former saying goes, PSP 4000 would be released in the year 2009. But 2009 is going to meet its end now, and PSP 4000 has not been released now. Several days ago, when SONY was asked about their launch they made no reply.
8 Steps to Enable vs Setup M3i Zero DSi Flash Card|Ishopvideogame
By: ishop videogame | 25/12/2009This article aims at teaching people to enable M3i Zero dsi flash card. Please do follow the following 8 steps.
5 Steps to Distinguish Real Acekard 2i|Ishopvideogame
By: ishop videogame | 25/12/2009Everybody doesn't like to buy a fake acekard 2i. Here are 5 tips for you to distinguish real acekard 2i. Do follow it.
Steps Setting Up Acekard2i for DSi|Ishopvideogame
By: ishop videogame | 25/12/2009Acekard 2i is a good selling product. It can bring you many benefits. This article will tech you how to set up Acekard 2i for dsi. So follow it.
Three Tips for Solving R4i Gold Cheats Problems|R4i Gold Cheats Not working Ishopvideogame
By: ishop videogame | 25/12/2009R4i Gold Edition card for Nintendo DSi is very shining among the R4 series. It has so many advantages, such as, the R4i Gold now works with DSi Firmware v1.4 and no need to upgrade firmware!
Best DSi Flashcards on DSi LL vs Nintendo DSi LL Specifications|Ishopvideogame
By: ishop videogame | 25/12/2009This article includes two parts. The first one is about dsi ll specifications, while the other one is about the best flashcards used for DSi LL.
Xbox Three Red Lights Error - How To Fix It Fast
By: howard Snyder | 24/12/2009If you are amongst the unlucky ones that turn your Xbox on and all you see are those three} red lights giving you an error, then you are not alone. Unfortunately, this is a very regular} thing because a number of units have manufacturing defects that are very simple to repair once you pin point the cause of the problem. Also, the causes are just a number of and they are in fact easy to pin point, you do not need to be a few specialized technician or anything like that in order to make ...
Laser Safety Glasses or Goggles- a Must Have Eye Protection for Laser Ussers
By: Frank | 21/08/2008 | ElectronicsHigh power lasers are dangerous because they can burn your retina and cause permanent blindness in less than a second so laser safety glasses are an essential accessory. Using laser safety glasses though is not simple and there are limitations.
Why Blue Laser Pointers are Much More Expensive Than Green Laser Pointers
By: Frank | 10/03/2008 | Gadgets & GizmosBlue lasers are much more expensive than green lasers. This article explains why there is such a big price difference between the two different colored lasers.
Lens Cleaning for Laser Pointers - Tips and Instructions
By: Frank | 25/02/2008 | Gadgets & GizmosDirty lens are the most common problem for laser pointers and hand held lasers. Using the right equipment and methods, dirty lens are very fast and easy to clean.
Astronomy, Stargazingand Green Laser Pointers
By: Frank | 25/02/2008 | Gadgets & GizmosExplaining which star you are looking at to some one can be difficult and frustrating. Green laser pointers make this easy and they are ideal astronomy aids.
Evolution of Dpss Lasers From Gas Lasers
By: Frank | 09/02/2008 | Gadgets & GizmosThe current DPSS generation of lasers evolved from gas lasers. DPSS lasers have a number of differences and advantages over gas lasers.
Infrared Lasers - the Applications and Safety Issues
By: Frank | 09/02/2008 | Gadgets & GizmosIR laser pointers with an invisibile beam have safety issues and applications that are very different from normal green laser pointers.
Shoddy Green Laser Pointers - What you Should Expect
By: Frank | 08/02/2008 | Gadgets & GizmosA shoddy laser pointer is a laser pointer that has poor performance and inferior quality. There are numerous ways that shoddy laser pointers are passed off as high quality laser pointers.