Looking at the components of the Universe require different types of telescopes because of Universe seems to always change. The Universe is highly three dimensional in both time and space, and that creates a different world then most of us are familiar with. There are two waves to classify telescope. The type of electromagnetic waves used and how those electromagnetic waves move.

The types of electromagnetic wave telescopes include gamma rays to radio waves as shown on the electromagnetic wave spectrum on the right. The photos below show the same area of the Milky Way using the different types of waves. Each of the photographs reflect different "clues" which scientists have to predict what they mean.