The Family Adventure Guide - Issue 43 -2025 - Magazine - Page 16
REFLECTOR
OR
REFRACTOR
BY E. FERRARI
TELESCOPES TO VIEW
THE STARS.
Reflector and refractor telescopes are two distinct
types of optical telescopes, each with its own design
and working principles. They differ in how they
gather and focus light, leading to various advantages
and disadvantages. Here's a brief comparison of the
two:
Reflector Telescope:
Light Path: Reflectors use mirrors to gather and focus light.
They have an open tube design with a primary mirror at the
bottom and a secondary mirror or eyepiece near the top.
Primary Mirror: The primary mirror reflects light to a focus
point. The size and quality of this mirror are crucial for image
quality.
Advantages:
Larger apertures: Reflectors can be built with larger mirrors,
providing more light-gathering power and better resolution for
deep-sky objects.
Cost-effective: Mirrors are generally less expensive to
manufacture than high-quality lenses.
No chromatic aberration: Reflectors are free from chromatic
aberration, which is common in refractors.
REFLECTOR
THE FAMILY ADVENTURE GUIDE- FLORIDA EDITION
Disadvantages:
Maintenance required: The open design can allow
dust and debris to accumulate on the mirrors,
requiring occasional cleaning and collimation
(alignment).
Coma and astigmatism: Some reflectors may suffer
from optical aberrations like coma and astigmatism,
which can affect image quality.
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