The Family Adventure Guide - Issue 43 -2025 - Magazine - Page 17
Refractor Telescope:
Light Path: Refractor telescopes use lenses to bend and
focus light. They have a long, sealed tube containing an
objective lens at the front and an eyepiece at the rear.
Objective Lens: The primary component in a refractor is the
objective lens, which refracts, or bends, light to form an
image. The quality of the lens significantly impacts the
image's clarity and sharpness.
Advantages:
Minimal maintenance: Refractors are sealed, reducing the
need for cleaning and collimation.
Good for planetary and lunar observations: They produce
high-contrast, color-corrected images.
Low image distortion: Refractors tend to have less distortion,
such as chromatic aberration.
Disadvantages:
Limited size: Large aperture refractors can become
unwieldy and expensive due to the weight and cost of highquality lenses.
Chromatic aberration: Even with advanced lens coatings,
some refractors may suffer from color fringing.
Refractor telescopes are known for their
portability, low maintenance, and suitability for
planetary and lunar observations. Reflectors
excel in providing larger apertures and are
often chosen for deep-sky and
astrophotography applications.
The choice between the two depends on your
specific needs, budget, and the type of
celestial objects you wish to observe. Some
astronomers even opt for compound
telescopes that combine the advantages of
both designs, though these can be more
complex and expensive.
THE FAMILY ADVENTURE GUIDE- FLORIDA EDITION
REFRACTOR
17 | 2025 Issue 43
