The Pros and Cons of choosing a Reflector Telescope

There are two basic kinds of telescopes for the backyard observer, reflector and refractor, and they differ in the way they get and focus light onto the eyepiece. The type discussed in this article will be the reflector telescopes. These telescopes use a series of large and small mirrors to bend and amplify the light from the stars and planets. It's hard to fantasize that by just using mirrors you will be able to see the rings of Saturn or the pinwheels of distant galaxies - but that is how it works.

There are two basic designs of reflector telescopes - the Newtonian and the Cassegrain. The Newtonian make was first created by Sir Issac Newton, the noted physicist of the 17th century. He terminated from his work in optics that the lenses of the duration always suffered from the dispersion of light into colors (called chromatic aberration). In 1668 he built the first Newtonian Telescope using a mirror as the objective to bypass the qoute of the chromatic aberration.

Telescope

This make is quite simple and very favorite with novice stargazers. There is usually one large mirror at the base of the telescope tube which focuses the image onto someone else flat mirror that then sends the image to the eyepiece where it can be magnified.

The second make is the Cassegrain type. This make uses a concave original mirror at the base of the telescope with a convex secondary mirror facing it at the top of the tube. The light comes in through the top of the telescope and is reflected by the original mirror onto the smaller mirror. This mirror in turn sends the light back through a hole in the original mirror to the eyepiece. This make is slightly more involved and therefore more expensive, but both work very well.

Advantages Of Reflector Telescopes

The reflector telescope is a good all-around telescope and has some advantages over the refractor type telescopes. On the pro side, the make of reflector telescopes is somewhat less intricate than that of refractor telescopes. This usually makes these telescopes less expensive, at least on the lower end. It also allows more magnifying power in a more contract design. The larger models authentically give more value for the money compared to refractor telescopes. The fast focal ratio makes reflector telescopes very sufficient for viewing faint objects deep in space.

Disadvantages Of Reflector Telescopes

Although the reflector telescope is a good all-around telescope especially for the amateur astronomer, it is not without some drawbacks. The alignment of the mirrors is somewhat delicate and transportation can be a qoute if not done very carefully. The mid-size to larger versions of these telescopes tend to be bulkier than the refractor models. The lower end models tend to produce a distorted image and there is a primary whole of maintenance involved in cleaning and aligning the mirrors.

As with any telescope, there are always pros and cons to reconsider when looking to purchase. The reflector telescopes are sufficient and simple to use production them the best deal for amateur astronomers and star gazers. It is absolutely worthwhile to reconsider a reflector telescope when you are researching which telescope will be right for you.

The Pros and Cons of choosing a Reflector Telescope

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