Reflector vs refractor telescope
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The light goes through the front lens, key element making the light beamsĬonverging to the eyepiece holder, where we install an eyepiece or a camera.īecause of their compactness and ligthness, refractor telescopes do not collect as much light as reflector but have a more stable optical quality and do not need any adjustement from the user/observer. The principle of keplerian telescope is very similar to a monocular. Open tube = high vulnerability to dust, humidity.etc.Collimation and mirrors cleaning processes.No chromatic aberrations (colored fringes around stars).Large mirror = better light collecting capacity.But the side effects are that you will need to know in details the optical system and should not be shy when you will have to modify or clean the mirrors, as mentioned above. This should be ideally carried out each time you observe or start an astrophotography session.įinally, reflector telescopes are first choice instruments when you want to collect the most light as possible. This procedure allows you to perfectly adjust the alignment of the telescope and must be done before each observation or astrophotography session.
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To this point, the cleaning of the mirror is highly recommended, paying extreme attention to the fragile optical parts while dismounting the telescope.Ī key element not to be forgotten with a newtonian-like telescope is the necessity to collimate it. For example, a mirror frequently exposed to this harsh environment could be less reflective within years, or put it in a different way, its ability to reflect light decreases. This is why they require to be manipulated with precision and attention. Reflector telescopes are mainly open telescopes, meaning that the mirrors are exposed to the air, humidity and dust. With such a geometry, you will never manage to focus perfectly the image of a star with your reflector, because of spherical aberration a delicate situation considering that astronomy requires to observe and photograph faint and diffuse celestial objects. More often, the low-cost manufacturers do not use nor a hyperbolic neither a parabolic mirror but a spherical mirror. However, a parabolic mirror is facing a defect: the coma aberration which deforms and elongates the star around the fields of view. In fact, such a mirror is relatively expensive and telescopes manufacturers choose rather a parabolic mirror instead, far simpler to build. Theoretically, getting a perfect round dot of a star requires having a newtonian reflector made with a hyperbolic primary mirror.
![reflector vs refractor telescope reflector vs refractor telescope](https://www.opticalmechanics.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/Reflector-Telescope-1.png)
However, a big mirror could quickly emphasize the optical aberrations of the telescope. The bigger the mirror is, the brighter the objects appear in the eyepiece. The asset of a reflector is its primary mirror’s very large size. Therefore, a secondary mirror is installed next to the front aperture of the telescope, enabling beams to be deviated on the side of the telescope, and so, to observe an image. Here, it is necessary to find a way to make the light beams going out of the tube. It has to collect and make the light beams converging towards the eyepiece holder, the element where we put our eyes. This primary mirror is the master piece of the reflector. The light coming from a star goes inside the optical tube and is first reflected on the primary mirror, located at the extremity.
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The newton telescopes are the most widespread reflectors in the market because of their easy building process and their low cost. Reflector telescopes Principle of a reflector They are a lot of differences between both of these categories, in terms of performances, durability and especially optical quality. The reflector telescopes are composed of mirrors whereas the refractor telescopes are only made of lenses. What is a telescope? This question could seem trivial but behind this universal word, we find two main types of instruments to observe the tremendous objects of our starry sky.