Reflector & Refractor Telescopes

Elle, Ben, Chloe, Ariadne

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How it worksWhy we use them

What they need to functionRefractor pros & consReflector pros & cons

ExamplesDiagrams

Bibliography

How it worksTelescopes use mirrors and the sky’s light so you can use them.

Telescopes use mirrors and the sky’s light so you can use them. For reflector telescopes, light reflects form a large primary mirror into a diagonal mirror, reflecting the light to the eye. Refractor telescopes have a lens that is thicker in the lens, which bends the light and focuses it. Then, all the light can come together at the focus point, and the image appears.

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Why We Use Them

We use these telescopes to view objects in the sky and earth that we wouldn’t be able to view as well with the naked eye.

These telescopes need different things to function. Refractor telescopes are good for looking at dim stuff, and reflector telescopes are good for looking at bright stuff. We use these telescopes to view objects in the sky and earth that we wouldn’t be able to view as well with the naked eye.

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Diagrams

You can see in the diagrams to the right that the

reflecting telescope reflects the light to the viewer,

while the refracting telescope bends it.

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For reflector telescopes, light reflects form a large primary mirror into a diagonal mirror, reflecting the light to the eye. Refractor telescopes have a lens that is thicker in the lens, which bends the light and focuses it. Then, all the light can come together at the focus point, and the image appears.

What They Need to Function

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Refractors

Bright objects

Reflectors

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These telescopes need different things to function. Refractor telescopes are good for looking at celestial objects, so they need bright objects and reflector telescopes are good for looking at bright stuff.

Refractor Pros & cons

Pros Cons

Can be good for taking picturesCompactCan observe terrestrially and celestially

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Can be bad for taking pictures

Reflector Pros & ConsPros Cons

CheaperCompact

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There is less light, which makes the image fuzzyReflector and refractor telescopes both have many pros and cons. The

reflector telescope costs less to produce; and therefore costs less to buy. They also have the ability to be compact. However, there is less light, and the image is fuzzy. Also, the mirrors are weirdly shaped. There are two different kinds of refractor telescopes – achromatic and apochromatic. Achromatic refractor telescopes are inexpensive and compact. They can also observe both terrestrially and celestially. However, they are also sometimes blurry and are not good for taking pictures. Apochromatic telescopes are good for terrestrial and celestial observing, as are achromatic. Apochromatic telescopes are excellent for taking pictures, and achromatic telescopes aren’t.

Examples

ReflectorRefractor

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Some types of refractor and reflector telescopes are the Catadioptric and the Cassegrain. The Catadioptric is good for starting astronomers. They are small, and have a great lens. Cassegrain telescopes have a second mirror that reflects the light through a hole in the first mirror, so you can see the image.

Bibliography"Refracting and Reflecting Telescopes." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2013."Refractor Telescopes." - OPT Telescopes. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. "Beginners Guide to Telescopes." UK Telescopes. N.p., n.d. Web. Refractor Telescope. Digital image. N.p., n.d. Web. "Telescopes." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.