Telescopes, Principle of operation and factors that affect its
properties
Telescopes are devices that are used to view the distant
objects. They find its use in astronomy and physics. It enables
you to view the distant objects by magnifying them. There are
many types of telescopes and their prices vary according to the
specifications. Many accessories are also available that can be
used in conjunction with the telescopes. Small telescopes that
are used as toys are also capable of viewing some objects around
50 meters away.
Principle in which the telescope works
The principle in which the telescope works is very simple. There
are two lenses that make up the task of viewing the objects that
are at a distance. One of the lenses picks up the light from the
object viewed and makes it available at a focus point. Another
lens picks up the bright light from the focus point and spreads
it out to your retina so that you can view. The lens that picks
up the light from the object is called the objective lens or
primary mirror. The lens that picks up the light from the focal
point is called the eyepiece lens.
Factors that affect the viewing of the object
The capability of the telescope to collect the light from the
object that is viewed and the capability to enlarge the image
are the factors that affect the efficiency of the telescope. The
capability to collect light from the object depends on the
diameter of the lens or mirror, which is otherwise called the
aperture. The larger the aperture the more the light it can
collect. Enlarging of an image depends on the combination of the
lenses that are used. The eyepiece in the telescope performs the
magnification.
Some of the world's largest optical telescopes in operation
We say a telescope to be larger based on the aperture size.
Based on this we can say that Keck and Keck II are the largest
telescopes in operation with an aperture of 10 meters diameter.
The Keck telescope is composed of 36 mirror segments. This is
located at Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The next largest is Hobby-Eberly
located at Mt. Fowlkes, Texas which has an aperture of 9.2
meters. You can get a list of the largest optical telescopes at
http://astro.nineplanets.org/bigeyes.html.
Choosing your telescope
The choice of the telescope largely depends on what you want to
observe. You can choose compound telescopes and refractor type
of telescope for viewing through the urban skies. For the rural
skies, you can use compound telescopes and reflectors. They are
better than the refractors type of telescopes. Each type has its
own advantages and disadvantages. Hence, many people have
different telescope for different purposes.
For more information visit http://www.TelescopeInfoCenter.com