Getting Ready for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse

The 2017 total solar eclipse, as seen from Clarksville Tennessee, was captured with my telescope and camera. In only a few months, on April 8, 2024, an awe-inspiring total solar eclipse will be visible from an area that spans from Mexico to Canada’s east coast. To make the most of this incredible experience, it is important to plan ahead. When the moon passes directly between the Earth and the sun, a total solar eclipse occurs. People who come to the “path of totality” will see the sun gradually covered by the moon, shrinking it to a sliver and then completely… Continue reading

The Enigma of Wolf Rayet Stars: Understanding Their Evolution and Characteristics

‍I have always been fascinated by the many mysteries of the universe, that is one of the driving reasons I became an amateur astronomer. One of the most intriguing phenomena that I have encountered is the Wolf-Rayet star. These stars are some of the most massive and luminous objects in the universe, yet they are also some of the most enigmatic. In this article, I will attempt to pass on a little of the mystery and grandeur that fascinates me so much. Introduction to Wolf-Rayet Stars Wolf-Rayet stars are a type of massive stars that are named after their discoverers,… Continue reading

The New Observer 90mm Refractor – Orion Destroyed Their 90mm Beginner Scope

The new Orion Observer 90mm refractor is the replacement for the Orion Astroview 90mm refractor telescope that I have recommended for years as the almost-perfect beginner telescope for newcomers to the hobby. That has abruptly come to an end after I got my hands on their new telescope. General review of the Observer 90mm One week with the new Orion Observer 90mm and I had had enough and returned it. The reason? Plastic. The Orion Observer 90mm is now a huge gob of plastic parts held together by a few pieces of metal. There is enough metal to do a… Continue reading

New Gskyer Telescope Website to help beginners

Recently, a Gskyer telescope manual has become one of the most sought-after things in beginner astronomy. Quite a few people have asked me for help with their new scope. The actual Gskyer telescope website has no helpful information that I could find. The few websites that seem to turn up when people are looking for a Gskyer telescope manual are click-bait websites just trying to make money off of them without providing any kind of real help. I always try to help when someone asks, particularly beginners because I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to have… Continue reading

Large expansion of my YouTube channel!

I have been busy expanding my Youtube page at https://www.youtube.com/c/AllanHall creating a ton of new content in my renovated video studio. Current work includes quick start guides, product reviews, and general information/tutorials. You should come by the channel and take a look! Some of my new videos include: With a huge list of titles currently in the works you are sure to find interesting ones for you. Check them out and let me know what you think. If you have any suggestions, or a topic you would like to see covered, leave me a comment and let me know. I… Continue reading

Add your own articles to Allans Stuff!

Do you have a story, how-to, review, or just something fun to share about astronomy/astrophotography with our thousands of visitors every month? Want to tell everyone about the furry little critter that visited you at the dark site, what you think of the new version of Pixinsight, how you captured that tiny slice of a young moon, or how much fun you had the other night doing the Messier binocular challenge? Now you can! Simply visit https://allans-stuff.com/user-submissions/ and fill out the form. I will read it, and assuming it is the awesome article I know it will be, I’ll approve… Continue reading

Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ telescope review

The Celestron Powerseeker 70AZ is frequently a top recommendation when people ask me what telescope they should get their kids as a first telescope. Let’s find out why. Their First Telescope That first telescope is much more important that most parents realize as it can help foster an interest in astronomy and science in general, or completely destroy the child’s interest. You probably wonder how that could be, and that is an excellent question. Let’s look at this a different way; assume your kid wanted to play little league baseball. You went out and bought them a glove and a… Continue reading