"The sidewalk astronomer faces new challenges in today's media-rich world. Awash in the spectacular images of the Great Observatories, the satellites, and rovers, the uninitiated who put their eye to the scope might expect fireworks. The fuzzy gray blobs that await them can be a bit of a letdown.

The sidewalk astronomer faces new challenges in today's media-rich world. Awash in the spectacular images of the Great Observatories, the satellites, and rovers, the uninitiated who put their eye to the scope might expect fireworks. The fuzzy gray blobs that await them can be a bit of a letdown.

Yet, a great many beautiful sights and phenomena are visible through the backyard telescope or even with the unaided eye. Seeing these astronomical objects can foster a sense of connection to a wider universe - especially when viewed live, rather than on a computer screen. To be truly moved by the beautiful experience of looking through a telescope, or by the simple wonderment of gazing up at the moon, a little context goes a long way.

At Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California, staff and volunteers provide that context in our exhibits, theater, and planetarium. On Friday and Saturday evenings, visitors can enjoy looking through several telescopes: an 8-inch refractor built in 1883, a 20-inch refractor built in 1915, a 36-inch Cassegrain reflector built in 2003, and a handful of smaller amateur scopes on the observatory deck. Even with some of the largest telescopes available to the public at our disposal, a crucial part of the experience comes just before a visitor puts their eye to the scope - a volunteer explains exactly what they're about to see.

Many astronomical objects are simply stunning when viewed through a scope, like Saturn's rings or the craters of Earth's moon. But many more, while no less interesting or beautiful, require context to fully appreciate. Knowing that what you are seeing is the birthplace of stars - a place similar to where own sun formed four and a half billion years ago - changes the Orion Nebula from a grey blur into a view of the past. Understanding that the tiny smoke ring in the eyepiece is the likely future of our own solar system, six billion years from now, means a lot more than simply "M57," and gives us a new way of thinking about time.

Selected here are some beautiful images of objects and phenomena one can see with a modest telescope, a pair of binoculars, or even the naked eye. These images are instructive - especially when we refer to the incredible details shown in modern imaging and return to the scope for another look. We often find that there is more to see, simply by knowing what to look for. Suddenly, the patches on Mars become ice caps or canyons. The tiny dark spot on Jupiter is actually the shadow of a Jovian moon. That fuzzy lint ball resolves into tens of thousands of individual stars.

Absorb the amazing details in these images. Look for the strong lines of contrast and the subtle characteristics. Read about what you are actually seeing. Then, go back outside and have another look with your own eyes. The stuff in these pictures is really out there - go see for yourself.

- Ryan Turner

About the guest: Ryan Turner is the Science Visualizer for Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. He guides audiences on tours of the universe in his live planetarium shows and is constantly bringing new lessons, topics, and content into the planetarium. He recently completed work on Chabot's new fulldome planetarium show "Tales of the Maya Skies" for which he created the astronomical visualizations. Occasionally, he still spends some time with the volunteers in the observatories, explaining the night's wonders to visitors just before they put their eye up to the scope. For more information about Chabot Space & Science Center and "Tales of the Maya Skies", please check out chabotspace.org and mayaskies.org.