![]() Image Credit: Orion (Used with Permission) Both have a 90-degree diagonal, which redirects the light upwards to the eyepiece. This one sits on an alt-azimuth mount, while the sketch above shows a German equatorial mount. Here’s a real-world example of a refractor telescope – this is similar to the one sketched in the image above. Refractors come in many varieties – and they can be optimized for a variety of usage scenarios including astrophotography, research, and visual astronomy. (A shorter focal length provides a wider field of view, measured in degrees.) The focal length also determines the field of view. (This is also referred to as the telescope’s “aperture”.) The focal length of the telescope, divided by the focal length of the eyepiece, determines the amount of magnification. The size of the lens (known as the telescope’s “objective”) determines the amount of light the telescope can collect. The glass lens “refracts” (or bends) the light so that it reaches a focal point. It’s simple, elegant, and easy to understand. The light enters the telescope through this lens, then exits the telescope through the eyepiece for viewing. Its design is really pretty straightforward: A refractor is made of a long optical tube with a convex glass lens at the main opening. The refracting telescope was most likely invented in the mid-1500’s by Leonard Digges (although Galileo Galilei is often credited as the inventor of the telescope). Think about George Washington, at the height of the American Revolution, looking through his spyglass telescope to monitor the movements of British troops – this is a classic example of a refracting telescope. ![]() Why? Because it’s by far the most classic-looking type of telescope. If you ask the average person to describe a telescope, they will probably be thinking of a refractor telescope. What exactly are the key features that differentiate reflectors from refractors? Refractor Telescopes – The “Classic” Telescope Design refracting telescopes … let’s start with the basics. Refracting Telescopesīefore we dig into the pros and cons of reflecting vs.
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