Go Greener Tips

Archive for the ‘Green Gadgets’ Category

We’ve all been there: You go to make a call only to realise your battery is nearly exhausted, whats more you are out on business and theres no cell phone charger or power point in view. Often it might just be an annoyance that you can’t call a loved one you may be late home but think about if its an urgent situation and your phone was really needed, possibly even the distinction between a critcal situation.

Anyway help is at hand. Many people are rapidly beginning to understand the boon of getting a portable approach to charge your cell phone without need for an electrical socket. Think about that you can re-charge your cell phone in the middle of a busy street, whilst sitting on the seashore, on a hike in the country.

This is where a solar mobile phone charger can help. Solar phone chargers don’t necessitate a power socket as they re-charge over time in natural light. They store up the power in an interior rechargeable battery which is prepared for action as and when needed. Through simply leaving the solar charger within a light place such as a car dashboard when you’re driving, your desk in the office, or even attached to your bag while walking or outside, the internal battery will be all set for use which enable it to typically re-charge your phone fully one or more times.

You will discover many different types of charger so it could be highly recommended to check out solar mobile phone charger reviews prior to buying. The most important points to look out for is capacity given that one that has a short capacity will not re-charge your phone for as long. It’s best to seek out the biggest capacity it is possible to acquire that’s within your financial constraints. Another thing to remember is size. A solar phone charger that may fit inside your jacket pocket is clearly far more desirable than one which will be too big and you might need to carry seperately. By means of looking into the specs of the charger you’ll be able to ensure you obtain one which suits your requirements.

The color green is affiliated with regeneration, fertility and reincarnation for its connections to mother nature. New political radicals have adopted the color as a symbol of environmental protection and social justice, and think as themselves as being a part of the Green movement, some naming themselves as Green parties. This has led to synonymous movements in advertising, as corporations and business have started selling green, or environmentally friendly, merchandise! Either way, I have decided to list a few of the items out there on the market that are promoted as “green” or earth friendly products. Some of these items are Eco friendly or promote an Eco friendly lifestyle, and some are solar powered. Take a look!

Grow It Chili Plants – This brand comes in all sorts of options but for this one the Chili Plants gift box is a complete growing kit for five types of chili plants, including one of the world’s hottest varieties. They are appealing plants and can be grown, not only for their fruits, but also for their ornamental value. The Grow It Chili Plants gift box is an unusual gift idea for an enthusiastic cook – the chillies may be plucked when green or may be left to mature. In a further 2-3 weeks, most will turn red, but some turn orange, yellow or even chocolate brown depending on the type.

Grow It Tea And Coffee – The perfect gift for both gardeners and tea and coffee lovers! Tea and coffee play such a big part in our lives today and the GROW IT Tea and Coffee gift box provides a fun opportunity to try growing your own. Includes 1 pack of coffee seeds, 1 pack of tea seeds, 5 coconut husk growing pots, 5 natural coconut husk compost discs, 5 wooden plant markers, and tea and coffee growing tips!

Grow It Bonsai Tree – This box contains all you need to grow a variety of bonsai trees at home. This is an unusual gift idea – perfect for a green-fingered friend, or for someone who would enjoy growing something really different. Includes 4 packs mixed bonsai seeds, 5 coconut husk growing pots, 5 natural coconut husk compost discs, 5 wooden plant markers, and Bonsai Tree growing tips.

Ipower Solar Charger – Stylish and durable, the iPower SX can be charged two ways; USB connection or solar energy. This device can be used with Apple, Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, Blackberry, Bluetooth headsets, Portable gaming devices such as the Sony PSP, digital cameras, MP3/MP4 players, smartphones, PDAs, GPS and much more.

Plastic Solar Powered Wind Turbine – These Solar powered wind turbines make great presents and are ideal models for educational purposes. Excellent for demonstrating solar power in action, put your hand over the panel and the rotors stop turning.

This is all good and well, but don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to be an official greenie in order to buy green gifts. You can be a beginner at this stuff, or maybe you know someone that is into the Go Green idea pretty deep, or maybe your not into going green and you don’t know anyone, but you just like the products that are offered, that’s fine too!

This author is a HUGE fan of Green Gifts.

Author: Kristi Ambrose
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Awe Inspiring Pictures

The public usually doesn’t mind spending a little more money on the little extra comforts of life.

• Upgrading to first class on that round trip ticket vacation
• Spending a little more cash on that cool car with all the new gadgets

But Americans usually balk when we start talking about spending more money buying a greener, more energy efficient home. Hopefully built with the care of using sustainable resources by the green builders themselves. Most developers will confess that the average home buyer isn’t really ready to cough up more cash for a better built home.

But do the math.

• Not just the utility bill saving, which by the way, is never tax deductible – but the strain of traditional building methods have on the global environment
• The waste of limited natural resources and the lack of recycling
• The lack of using innovative building components and building practice

All a direct impact of how we live our everyday lives.

There have been certain progressive websites that have been promoting green certification programs from all over the United States on their internet platforms for green housing – helping educate the masses in what it really means to build green. It’s a more expensive building process sure, but money well spent when you realize the testing and inspections that go on prior to being sold to the customer as certified green built home. LEED has been introduced as a national green building certification program thats worth taking a look at, offering different levels of going green. Silver, gold, platinum – all offering variations of a healthier, more energy efficient home.

Even big corporate home builders are considering going in this direction. The big question is – will the public be willing to pay the price for a better built home. Studies have shown that the homeowner will typically will spend more, if it means a healthier, more energy efficient living environment. Lenders are watching this trend closely, placing added true increased value to the better built green home. A tougher task to do in this current “softer” real estate market.

Let’s hope consumers see the big picture overall.

• Healthier lives mean less doctor visits.
• Less money spent every month on utility bills that are notoriously known to increase each year.

Not to mention the lessened environmental impact by building sustainably.

It’s a big picture all right. But does everyone see it?

David Syring is the founder and content manager for ListedGreen.com

Author: David Syring
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Unix inter-process communication (IPC)

The public usually doesn’t mind spending a little more money on the little extra comforts of life.

• Upgrading to first class on that round trip ticket vacation
• Spending a little more cash on that cool car with all the new gadgets

But Americans usually balk when we start talking about spending more money buying a greener, more energy efficient home. Hopefully built with the care of using sustainable resources by the green builders themselves. Most developers will confess that the average home buyer isn’t really ready to cough up more cash for a better built home.

But do the math.

• Not just the utility bill saving, which by the way, is never tax deductible – but the strain of traditional building methods have on the global environment
• The waste of limited natural resources and the lack of recycling
• The lack of using innovative building components and building practice

All a direct impact of how we live our everyday lives.

There have been certain progressive websites that have been promoting green certification programs from all over the United States on their internet platforms for green housing – helping educate the masses in what it really means to build green. It’s a more expensive building process sure, but money well spent when you realize the testing and inspections that go on prior to being sold to the customer as certified green built home. LEED has been introduced as a national green building certification program thats worth taking a look at, offering different levels of going green. Silver, gold, platinum – all offering variations of a healthier, more energy efficient home.

Even big corporate home builders are considering going in this direction. The big question is – will the public be willing to pay the price for a better built home. Studies have shown that the homeowner will typically will spend more, if it means a healthier, more energy efficient living environment. Lenders are watching this trend closely, placing added true increased value to the better built green home. A tougher task to do in this current “softer” real estate market.

Let’s hope consumers see the big picture overall.

• Healthier lives mean less doctor visits.
• Less money spent every month on utility bills that are notoriously known to increase each year.

Not to mention the lessened environmental impact by building sustainably.

It’s a big picture all right. But does everyone see it?

David Syring is the founder and content manager for ListedGreen.com

Author: David Syring
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Unix inter-process communication (IPC)

We all want to do our part by being involved in the Green Movement. Most believe going green costs more. You can actually save money going green. There are some great tips here that will help you save your green and go green.

Out Doors:

Use a rake instead of a leaf blower. You will get more exercise, not pollute the air and save the money you would be spending on the gas or electricity to use a leaf blower.

Instead of a 2 stroke gasoline powered mower which releases as many hydrocarbons into the atmosphere in 30 minutes as a car does in 90 minutes switch to an electric mower.

Ride a bike to work, take public transportation or car pool. My husband bought a bike and rides it to work when the weather permits, which in Texas is pretty often. We have not only helped the environment but a lot of money as we do not have to buy gas often anymore.

Dry your clothes on a clothes line. You will be saving on electricity and your clothes will smell fresh and clean.

Electronics:

LCD Flat Panel tv’s use 1/3 of the electricity of the tube based tv’s.

Just because they come out with a new gadget doesn’t mean you have to run right out and buy one. Use the one you have until it is no longer useable.

Recycle your non working computers, printers, I-Pods, computer game equipment and cell phones.

Donate working electronics to charities, companies and schools.

Use E Cards instead of the conventional greeting cards, you are saving trees and saving money. You are not having to buy the card, pay the postage and make a trip to the post office for mailing.

Go paperless, pay your bills online.

Save documents on your computer or to a disc instead of printing them and filing them.

Around The House:

Instead of going out and buying new furniture head out to the flea market, garage sales or re-sell shops. If more of us did this there would not be near as many materials being used to manufacture furniture.

For the expectant mother I recommend you never buy new maternity clothes, you are only going to use them for a short period of time. Once again the garage sales and the re-sell shops are a great place to shop.

The same goes for baby clothes, I am not saying never buy anything new, but we can save a lot and help the environment by buying used clothing. My grand daughters who I spoil unmercifully had clothes from garage sales most of their lives. I do buy them some new clothes but I can find very nice designer clothes for a fraction of the cost by hitting the better re-sell shops and the garage sales.

Used appliances when ever possible for me also.

I shop in pawn shops for tv’s, just bought an almost new flat panel tv for $180.00. I buy all my jewelry in pawn shops also. I save tons of money and have more jewelry than I would if I went out and bought it new. I see it as not having to mine for metals and gems.

Bottle your own water. Studies have shown that the water you buy is really no better than your own tap water. You can buy a nice water filtration system and save a lot of money by bottling your own water.

We all talk about re-cycling. Now they have FreeCycle. Check online for one in your community. People post what they have to get rid of and others that want it come and pick it up from your porch at a time that the two of you set up and you have just gotten rid of the things you no longer want and someone else needs. Charities also benefit from this site. Just go to http://www.freecycle.org to check in your area.

Use cloth diapers. Help the environment and your child will also benefit. The disposable diapers cause more diaper rashes than the cloth diapers do.

Use a ceiling fan to cool a room. Ceiling fans consume as little energy as a 60 watt bulb, about 98% less energy than central air.

Install a programmable thermostat and recycle your old mercury containing thermostats.

When using the oven, throw a cake in when you are baking the chicken, roast, etc… You can also bake two meats at once and have one for dinner and one for lunch the following day. I like doing a chicken for the following day as it is as good cold as it is warm.

Take your own containers to the restaurant to bring home any leftovers from the meal. You will not be using the Styrofoam containers and have nothing to throw out to the landfills.

Cheryl C McNeil mentor and coach will lead you to success in network marketing. Our staff of coaches are offering a course through webinars 4 times weekly, direct access to the staff through personal phone #’s and emails for one on one times when needed.

Trained at the beginning of her career by Ellie Drake and Jack Canfield Cheryl has much to offer. Our website is not complete so check back often at [http://www.liveyourlifebydesign.com]

Cheryl is a stay at home mom, grandmother actually, as she is raising 3 of her 8 grandchildren. Having the time freedom to spend time with her family is what she enjoys most in her life.

With plans to open a shelter for abused women in 2008 in her hometown Cheryl will achieve a dream and a goal she has been laying the groundwork for the past two years.

There will be a book coming soon about her struggle with breaking the cycle of living in domestic violence and how she did it. Moving on 20+ years ago from this terrifying life she has gone on to achieve a great marriage, raise her grandchildren and living her life with an Attitude of Gratitude.

Author: Cheryl C Mcneil
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Awe Inspiring Pictures

No, not with envy. Let the onlookers do that when they see your green laser pointers. These lasers have 532nm green laser wavelength. They are generally used for pointing at star constellations. The green laser light works with the help of Diode Pumped Solid State Frequency Doubled (DPSSFD) laser technology. In this process they use a high power IR laser diode at 808 nm. This is used to pump a very small block of Nd: YVO4 which generates light source at 1,064 nm. This in turn provides a KTP intracavity frequency doublers crystal. This process helps to produce the green beam at 532 nm.

Characteristics

*Output power is 5mW.
*They are even visible at a range of 2,600 m in the darkness.
*They have a momentary push button.
*They have a constant wave output.
*They can also be used for sky pointing, signaling, and highlighting some potential explosives.
*Green laser pointers come with a warranty of 90 days.
*They are available in silver or black color.
*Some of them function in quasi-continuous wave mode to reduce cooling problems and prolong the life of the battery.

This useful gadget can be used for professional presentations, for bird watching, for tour guides, by construction engineers and workers to point out points of interest on a project, for camping, and hiking. What is more, they do not dig a hole in the pocket. You can find cheap of them for as low as $39.95.

Green laser pointers have a unique zoom lens. They can enlarge or shrink the laser luminous spot. Some of the green pointers come with a keychain which makes it easy to carry around. This can be an ideal gift for family and friends.

Red Vs. Green

Green has certainly spelt danger for red as the green laser is much superior to the red laser in terms of quality.

1.One of the starkest differences between the two is beam visibility. The green laser pointers are much brighter than the red ones and obviously much noticeable.
2.Laser pointers (green) are totally visible in mid-air in dark conditions unlike the red laser pointers which just have a visibility in the form of a beam dot in the dark.
3.They can be seen at much greater distances than its red counterpart.
4.Another difference stems from the complexity of their construction. A red laser consists of a circuit board, red laser diode, and a focusing lens. However, green lasers function based on an infrared (808nm) diode which is used with a combination of special crystals and a filter.

Green laser pointers UK lets you choose from among 60 different types of lasers which you can get delivered for free. However, there are certain restrictions under the Health and safety legislation for a general public presentation use type laser. The requirements include less than one mill watt (MW) of power and a ‘momentary switch’.

A word of caution for users of them- using these powerful users to point at an aero plane may put you behind bars. Also, this product should not be used when the temperature exceeds 35 degrees or goes below 15 degrees. So, use them wisely.

green laser pointers are designed to perfection with some classic features to suit your needs. To know more about the laser pointers, visit the above link.

Author: Abby Walton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Credit card currency-exchange fees

As the whole Green movement gains more and more steam we’re seeing an increase in the amount of media coverage on the topic. This is a huge boon for the movement, obviously, and is helping a much broader range of people learn about the advantages of conversing energy.

What I’ve seen happening, and I’m sure you’ve seen it too, is that the latest and greatest energy conservation gadgets and inventions tend to get the most attention. It makes sense of course as the newest and most efficient 100 mile to the gallon car is going to make a better story than telling folks, yet again, the benefits of proper insulation and the evils of pesticides. I’m calling it all “Green Sex Appeal” (with all due respect to Kermit the Frog of course) and it sells magazines, gets the message out to the masses and creates demand for energy saving products.

You’ve probably seen and heard some grumbling and griping about the somewhat recent trending towards “green sex appeal” and, to a point, I can understand it. It used to be that living a “green lifestyle” involved small organic gardens in the backyard, rain collection systems, riding a bike rather than driving a car, composting and all the other simple yet effective techniques used to reduce the impact we have on this planet. Those folks that embrace that lifestyle and spread the word may look at the direction of the movement today and feel a bit put off. I was chatting with a buddy of mine and he seems to sum it all up in one shot. He said something along the lines of…

“At what point did a soccer mom, who lives in a 5,000 square foot McMansion with a heated swimming pool and 4 kids get the designation of ‘green’ because she bought a hybrid SUV?”

There is some anger out there however, even with all the self congratulations and the distortion of the true “green living” message, I see this as a gain. Strip everything emotional away from the scenario and what are the actual positives and negatives to the situation?

The main negative I see is the dilution of the hardcore green living ideal by the mainstream media. There is a fear that to some making a statement about the environment (“I bought a hybrid!”) will not result in implementing other green living practices in their lives. The statement is in danger of being seen as the fix. If we get to a point where “green living” comes to just mean you own a fuel efficient car or you’ve got a solar panel that powers your 50 inch TV then we will have a problem. Don’t misunderstand here, both of those things are fantastic…every little bit helps! But does mean someone has embraced green living? I’d argue no.

The positive I see is that, everything being equal, you’ve got soccer moms out there driving more fuel efficient vehicles and using less gas than they would have when driving Danny and Sally to soccer/football/band practice. Is it the most fuel efficient vehicle out there? Not even close but it’s a start. Will the family start their own garden? Reduce or eliminate the amount of chemicals they use in and outside of the home? Will they do without the heated pool? Will they shop for locally grown organic produce? Maybe and maybe not…you never know.

Overall having some people out there buying high efficiency vehicles just because it’s cool, or the current trend or it’s the new “must have” still gets them behind the wheel of something that uses fewer gallons of gas. And that I’ve got to see as a gain.

Now, what can we make so trendy for a large chuck of the population that it’s super cool to not own a car? Figure that one out and we’ll be getting somewhere! Thanks for reading!

Bill maintains a website focused on Green Building and Green Energy. If we can get more people doing the simple things there would be a big impact on the environment! Thanks for reading and be sure to stop by and say hello!

Author: Bill P. Kelly
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Duty tariff

What better time than now to move not only into fitness, but into green fitness? Creating a healthier you along with promoting a healthier earth. The feeling one gets being a part of this fitness movement are overwhelming and give you a great sense of purpose and fulfillment.

What makes up green fitness?

The idea is that your routine is green – a concern for the environment – while at the same time keeping you fit. Pretty basic. Yet many people don’t understand where to even begin when it comes to green fitness.

As a green fitness expert I would like to point out there are quite a bit of easy things you can do to achieve this goal. Most people believe that you have to join a gym. Then you have to hit the treadmills, elliptical and other fancy gadgets to get a workout. Well that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Swimming in a lake or stream or ocean is a great way to green your fitness provided access and good weather. This is extraordinarily green and provides a huge calorie burn. You can also bicycle for fun, or to get a nice workout. This can also become a community activity with friends and family. Short trips to the grocery on the bike burn some extra calories and save the earth. Walking, Hiking, Climbing and running are also great green fitness activities.

Utilizing the precious earth.

Also using the earth to improve your fitness is great way to green your fitness. For example finding a low hanging sturdy tree branch for pull ups. Hanging ropes over them for climbing and pull up activities is also an awesome way to utilize the earth for your fitness activities. One of the best venues for greening your fitness is a hill. With a hill you can walk, jog, sprint, bike and even bear crawl up it to get a great fitness workout.

Green fitness products.

Also as you search the web you will find more and more green fitness and eco-friendly products that are available for purchase. Even retailers such as amazon are working toward providing more green purchase options for consumers.

Brian Thompson
Green Fitness Enthusiast
http://www.greenfitnessworld.com

Author: Brian M Thompson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty rates

At a time when you cannot control gas prices, or the price of staples like eggs, milk and bread, there are some powerful ways that going green can bring down your cost of living!

Consider that a home that uses energy efficiently can cut your bills by up to 66%! According to “These Green Times,” an online environmental information hub, the average utility bill in the US is $1,500 a year. What could you do with that extra $990?

Here are 9 of the easiest ways that “going green” can save money and that you and your family can reduce your “carbon footprint” and help save our precious Mother Earth from global warming.

1. Adjust Your Home Temperature by Two Degrees ~ Simply turn your heat down by two degrees in the winter and put on a sweater! In the summer, if you use an air conditioner, just turn your thermostat up by two degrees! In either case, this act of going green can save you money to the tune of 10% per degree!

2. Unplug Your Chargers ~ Have you ever noticed that little red light that glows in the dark on your cell phone charger, or the eerie yellow light on your computer monitor that never goes to sleep? This phenomenon is known as “phantom electricity.” Did you know that 95% of energy used to power up your cell phone is wasted when you leave your charger plugged in? That’s right, your charger only uses 5% of the energy it consumes to actually recharge your cell phone battery, and the rest is wasted! This is also true for the rest of your “rechargeable ” gadgets, like laptop computers, PDAs, MP3 players, and digital cameras. Unplugging these when they are not in use is another way that going green saves money over the long haul. Just turning off your computer at night instead of letting it hibernate will cut the energy it takes by 75%. That’s a huge savings! One million people logging off every night would remove 45,000 tons of greenhouse gases from entering our atmosphere. Make sure you buy your next computer with an Energy Star and you’ll do even better to save money and Mother Earth from global warming.

3. Change the Light Bulbs to CFLs ~ Using compact fluorescent light bulbs, referred to as CFLs, will not only help to substantially reduce your annual consumption of energy and the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, but will also save you a small fortune! A CFL light bulb costs about $2.60 at any hardware store and lasts up to 10 times longer than a traditional bulb, while using about 75% less energy. This is a great example of how going green saves BIG money and can be implemented easily!

4. Walk, Walk, Walk ~ Need we say more? Walking or riding a bicycle is not only good for the environment; it relieves you of the cost of filling up your gas tank and also provides excellent exercise for your body and soul. Walking or riding on a regular basis is not just less expensive, it’s healthier for your heart: if one million people replaced a five-mile car trip with a healthy walk or bike ride at least once a week, Mother Earth would get in shape too with carbon dioxide emissions reduced by about 100,000 tons every year. You’ll both win by losing!

5. Take a Shorter Shower, Not a Bath ~ “Global warming” is predicted to increase water shortages in the near future, so plan now to conserve here. You’ll use one-third less water by taking a shower versus a bath, and if you cut your shower by just one minute, you can save more than 500 gallons of precious water every year. What an easy way to get going green.

6. Choose Your Energy ~ This one is really easy! Just call your energy company and tell them that you have heard that going green saves money and you’d like to know if they offer any alternative energy use possibilities. Over 600 energy companies in the U.S. have the ability to offer their customers “green power alternatives” like wind, solar, geothermal, hydroelectric, biomass, or landfill gas.

7. Close the Doors and Open the Windows ~ How often have you found yourself staring into the refrigerator trying to decide what to eat while all the cold air rushes pass you? Or, have you ever carried on a conversation with a friend or a neighbor with your front door cracked open, letting all the warm air inside escape out into the winter sky? We all do it and yet it is a terrible waste of energy. Every little bit counts! And this is one of the easiest new “energy behaviors” to change. Just be mindful and observant of your and your family’s behaviors. Shut the doors when the heat or air conditioning is running, and open them and your windows when the weather is beautiful. You’ll enjoy the fresh air and allow toxins from inside your home to escape, making your home environment healthier and safer for your family and your pets, while saving money on your utility bills.

8. Only Do Full Loads ~ Save on water and energy by making sure you are doing only full loads of dishes or laundry. Most dishwashers today have an energy saving selection – so use it! Could going green and saving money be easier?

9. Bank Online ~ It’s time to join the twenty-first century and become a “with-it” world member by paying your bills online. Most banks offer this service free of charge. If yours doesn’t, find another bank. It’s convenient, easy, and safe – and just think of all the time, money (no stamps!), and costly gas you’ll save. And remember that the U.S. Postal Service uses trucks, too! Just imagine how much energy would be saved and how your tax dollars could be lessened if everyone did their banking online. By best estimates, if every family received and paid their bills online, we would save more than 29 trillion BTUs of energy and reduce 1.7 billion pounds of waste every year. Can you imagine that 405,000 trees are cut down every year just to pay our phone bills? You can also sign up for direct pay with your employer. You’ll save money, time and substantially contribute to saving Mother Earth. Little things like this that you do in life can force big companies to get going green, which at the end of the day saves everyone money!

Visit http://www.keepingmyearthgreen.com for more great tips on how going green saves money, as well as interactive activities for the whole family to learn and enjoy together that both save money and the planet.

Order the “Keeping My Earth Green” trilogy; a video and e-book series where you and your family can discover the easiest things to do at home, work, school, play, and while you’re out and about to get going green and save Mother Earth, save money, improve your own health and safety, better your family relationships, and have more fun in your life! 50% of the direct sales proceeds goes to support charities rescuing orphaned children left parentless from AIDS scavenging food in the slums of Kenya and orphaned animals in Africa.

In these trying times, every little bit makes a difference, both to your wallet and to the planet!

DIANE STECH, author of the environmental education series for adults and children “Keeping My Earth Green” is an award-winning master educator, adventurer, and humanitarian. Visit her website at http://www.keepingmyearthgreen.com Her life purpose is to educate and inspire others to save this precious planet while her passion is to save the children and wildlife of Africa. Visit http://www.diane.hubhub.org and join Diane in an amazing new way to empower and transform our planet while making a great income in a new model for humanitarian living and giving.

Author: Diane Stec
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Smiling shark

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.

Frank is from Dragonlasers at http://www.dragonlasers.com

Author: Frank Smith
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Canada duty rate