But not very many people know that at certain times of the year when the orbits of the earth bring the sun and moon into right alignment, there can even be tidal effect on inland bodies of water and even on the solid earth. Eons ago, when the moon s orbit was closer to the Earth, it was the effect of the moon that caused massive changes in the topography of the land and on continental drift as well. To really understand the strengths and weaknesses not only of the lenses and telescope design but also in how the telescope performs in various star gazing situations, it is best to do some homework up front and get exposure to the different kinds. So before you make your first purchase... - Above all, establish a relationship with a reputable telescope shop that employs people who know their stuff. And in early civilizations, the two disciplines were not separate. Astrology was just the religious side of the science of astronomy. So what changed? The most significant shift that set in motion the separation of the two lines of thought began in the first century when Ptolemy wrote the very first book on astronomy called the Tetrabiblos. For example, our planet has not cleared away the moon but it has captured it into its own orbit so we classify as a planet. That s a relief huh? There are many objects floating around in our solar system other than the planets we know of. It s an interesting piece of trivia that in addition to the planets there are 165 moons orbiting around those nine planets. - The Schmidt Cassegrain telescope uses an involved system of mirrors to capture the image you want to see. - A binocular telescope uses a set of telescopes mounted and synchronized so your view of the sky is 3-D. Beyond the basic types, other terms refer to parts of the telescope or to the science behind how telescopes work. - Lunatic which has the root word "Luna" in it which is the Latin word for moon. This highlights the long held belief that is even prevalent today that irrational behavior and even wild and dangerous things happen during a full moon. Astronomy and its interrelationship with astrology has also influenced culture, education and religion to a very large extent over the centuries.