(NAPSA)—Throughout the centuries, many of humankind’s great discoveries have come as a result of great explorers and their neverending desire to find what has not been found and chart the way for others. While the days of Galileo, Columbus and Magellan are past, the spirit of exploration is still very much alive. But exploration does not always have to entail a long and perilous journey into the unknown.In fact, there is plenty to explore just by stepping outside the back door. For example, take the opportunity to explore the night sky. Planets like Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and Saturn are all viewable with the naked eye, appearing in the night sky as bright stars that glow, rather than twinkle like stars. Use a pair of binoculars to look at the scarred surface of the moon, or plot Earth’s place in the cosmos with a star map from the hobby shop. Shooting stars can also be seen on most nights with the naked eye. The amazing streaks of light are caused by tiny bits of dust and rock, called meteoroids, that burn up as they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. There is also plenty to explore a little closer to home. A careful study of the backyard might reveal birds scurrying to build their nests out of twigs, leaves and moss; acrobatic squirrels searching for nuts and seeds; or a long line of marching ants carrying leaves and crumbs weighing A variety of telescopes and other equipment can make it fun to explore the heavens...and Earth. up to 20 times their body weight. Every great explorer knows that the right tools can lead to even more discoveries. Here are a few tools that can turn an ordinary backyard into an “out-of-thisworld” classroom: Computerized telescopes. Today’s computerized telescopes are very affordable and can turn a passing interest into a lifetime of exploration. For example, Celestron’s NexStar SE telescope makes it easy to find and explore thousands of stars, planets and galaxies at the touch of a button. Celestron’s VistaPix IS70 Digital Spotting Scope brings nature’s brilliance up to 144 times closer, and its built-in digital camera gives users the power to share pictures and video of their discoveries with their friendslater. To learn more about exploring the world around you, visit www.celestron.com.
