How Telescopes work A simple guide to how telescopes work ... • read full article
Naming Stars Can you have a star named after you? There are a few companies who, for a fee, offer to name ..... • read full article
Startheatre 2 Shut the curtains,turn off the TV and fire up the Star Theatre, and you have an instant planetarium in your living room! It even has an interactive Meteor Maker and they claim it can work outdoors!. • link: Price Challenge
Federation of Astronomical Societies
lists all local astronomical societies that are members of the FAS. It covers the whole of the UK and Ireland and currently has 170 members. www.fedastro.org.uk
Bad Astronomy
Phil Plait is an astronomer who looks at current stories to do with astronomy and gives us the real science involved, not the kind of science the newspapers or Hollywood would have us believe! There is also a section where he definitively debunks the 'moon hoax' conspiracy theory. In addition, there are several forums in which you can participate. Excellent site. www.badastronomy.com
Cartes du Ciel
Download the FREE astronomy program Cartes du Ciel and other free astronomy software www.stargazing.net
Stellarium http://stellarium.sourceforge.net
Stellarium is a free open source 3D planetarium software. Features include over 120,000 stars from the Hipparcos catalogue with information, asterisms and illustrations of the constellations, images of nebulae, realistic Milky Way, very realistic atmosphere, sunrise and sunset, the planets and their satellites.
Telescopes Reviews and ratings of quality, hand-picked, UK websites
Amazon.co.uk
• www.amazon.co.uk Headers: Books, Electronics & Photo, Music, DVD, Video, Software, PC & Video Games, Home & Garden, Toys & Games
Although associated mostly with books of which they have a huge stock, covering nearly all subjects, Amazon now sells virtually everything. And their prices are surprisingly good. The electrical goods, for example, are very competitively priced. The site is very easy to navigate and there are also a huge selection of useful, and usually well written reviews for products. You can also search for goods available in the auction department plus you can get good deals from the many used items sold at Amazon.
• Special Features: 30 returns policy.
• Free Delivery on most orders >£15
Jessops
• www.jessops.com Headers: Cameras, Camcorders, Printers & Scanners, Memory Cards, Accessories, Flat Screen TVs
Jessops is a leading specialist photographic retailer, offering a huge range of cameras and camera accessories as well as a large range of other products such as binoculars and printers. In fact they have a product range of 20,000 and you can find all your camera needs here. The books section has over 150 specialist books and the ink cartridge section covers all the main makes of printer. If you register with Jessops, you will have access to their Members Area whixh includes technical articles and buying guides. Jessops has over 240 stores in the UK.
• Special Features: Collect @ Store allows customers the option to order online and, if the product is in stock, collect at store within an hour of placing the order, or 48 hours later if the product is out of stock.
• Free Delivery on orders >£100 Around 20 telescopes available form Meade, Bushnell, Swarovski and Praktica - the easiest way to find them is to type telescope into the search
Popcorn
• www.popcorn-uk.com Headers: Video, Audio, Television, For the Home, For the Kitchen, Personal Care, Home Office, Telescopes, Binoculars, Security, Phones, Photo
Based in Rochester, Kent, Popcorn offers a very nice selection of gadgets plus some superb Meade and Bresser telescopes. The security section is very good and includes CCTV, burglar alarms, security VCR, cameras and sensors. In addition there is a very good selection of TVs, MP3 players, cordless telephones plus a small computing section. Oh, and you get free popcorn with every order!
Prezzybox
• www prezzybox.com Headers: Gadgets, Fun Things, For Him, For Her, Kids Stuff, Home & Living, Garden & Outdoor, Experience Days
Zappy site full of 1000's of gifts and gadgets at very competitive prices. If you look our price challenge page you will see that Prezzybox often take first place. especially for larger items such as Pool Tables. There is also a useful Gift Wizard if you are struglling on what to buy. Member of the Which Web Trader's Association.
• Free Delivery on orders >£40 • Special Offers: Prezzybox has offered us a £5 discount off every order over £20 for our readers. Just enter the code EASYTORECALL at the checkout.
Microglobe
• www.microglobe.co.uk Headers: Digital Cameras, Film Cameras, Accessories, Bags and Cases, Binoculars, Exposure Meters, Filters, Flash, Lenses, Memory Cards, Projection/Viewer, Scopes, Tripods/Supports
Photography website with a wide range of cameras and camera accessories, including a very good range of top brand lenses, plus binoculars, microscopes and telescopes. Microglobe is based in Oxford Street, London.
Less than 5 and Gadget style plus children's telescopes:
Curious Minds
• http://curiousminds.co.uk Headers: Astronomy, Space, Biology & Nature, Chemistry, Crystals, Desktop, Curiosities, Earth & Weather, Electronics & Radio, Games & Puzzles, Machines & Tech., Magnets & Electro, Math, Programming, Optics & Scopes, Physics in Motion, Science Books, Science Kits, Software, Unearth the Past
Fantastic range of toys and activities with a scientific flavour. From science kits from around £6 to fully working orreries at around £1400!
I Want One of Those
•
www.iwantoneofthose.com Headers: Gadgets & Gizmos, Toys & Games, Lifesyle & Home, Kitsch & Daft, Outdoor & Travel, Office Toys, Gorgeous Gifts, Adventures
In their words "stuff you don't need... but you really, really want"! Excellent range of gizmos and high tech stuff as well as lots of products for the home and garden. Trading online since 2000, I want One of Those is based in London.
• Special Features: Gift finder wizard. Free birthday reminder service. Live help.
• International Deliveries Available
Just Childsplay
• www.justchildsplay.co.uk Headers: Educational Toys - Early Learning, Pre School, Arts & Crafts, English, Maths, Science, Geography, History, Logical Skills
Huge range of educational toys for children from birth to around 12 years of age. You can browse by age, category or price. Shop online or request a brochure. Just Childsplay is based in Wallingford Road, Leicester.
• Special Features: Wishlist - if you see a product you like, just add it to the wish list and then continue browsing. 28 day no quibble returns policy.
• Gift Wrapping: Cost shown at checkout.
• Free Delivery on orders >£75
OtherLand
• www.otherlandtoys.co.uk Headers: Gift Ideas, RC Toys, Gadgets, Games, Discovery, Collectables, Outdoors Weird games, electronic gizmos, whacky executive gadgets, also the 'discovery store' has some nice scientific and educational activity items from a gold plated micro-stirling hot air engine to a 3D space projector. Lots of Lord of the rings stuff and usefully a battery shop where you can buy extra batteries for all of their items. Otherland Toys Ltd, Lee Valley Technopark, Unit 101, Ashley Road, Tottenham, London, N17 9LN.
• International Delivery Available
Science Museum Store
• www.sciencemuseumstore.com Headers: Handy Gadgets, For the Home, Discovery, Fun & Games, Engineer, Take Off
Who doesn't love the Science Museum? (Especially now that its free to get in!) For those of us who don't live in London, we can use the website to browse all the latest gadgets and toys in the Science Museum store or order a catalogue. Better still, join the mailing list and get the latest special offers and bargains. You can also buy prints from the collections of the Science Museum, The National Railway Museum and the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television.
Befuddled
Stars
Star theatre 2
Shut the curtains, turn off the TV and fire up the Star Theatre, and you have an instant planetarium in your living room! It even has an interactive Meteor Maker and they claim it can work outdoors!.
• link: 
Science Museum Store 
