Optical TelescopeWhat is an optical telescope? How does it work? What types of optical telescopes are there? What are some terms I might encounter when I am studying about this type of telescope? What do they mean? What optical telescopes are famous? If you have questions like these, then follow along as we take a closer look at the optical telescope…
What Is An Optical Telescope?
An optical telescope is an instrument used to gather and focus light from a very specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. It generally refers to the wavelengths of light which can be perceived by the human eye. These wavelengths are then magnified and studied “optically” – via direct viewing, photographically, or collected on a photo sensor. There are three primary types of optical telescopes: the refractor, the reflector and the catadioptric telescope.
How Does An Optical Telescope Work?
At the heart of all optical telescopes is the major light gathering source. In the optical refractor telescope, this is called the primary objective lens. In the optical reflector telescope, it is known as the primary mirror. In the optical catadioptric design, it is also a primary mirror. These gather the incoming light from a distant object and focus it back along a path called the focal plane. When the light rays re-converge, they form a “real image” or reach a focal point. This image may then be gathered by the optical telescope’s cameras or photo sensors – or it may be magnified by an additional series of lenses called an eyepiece and studied by the human eye.
Source : universetoday.com
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