Telescope | Eyepieces

Are you thinking of buying a telescope? Perhaps you are wondering - what are the differences between refracting telescopes and reflecting telescopes, and which are better refracting telescopes or reflecting telescopes. As you read this article, you will discover more about which is the best telescope to purchase.

There are many different telescopes for sale. These different telescopes, however, fall into mainly 2 categories. The first is refracting telescopes, which is the one that reminds us most of Galileo's telescope. The other is reflecting telescopes, which is commonly attributed with Isaac Newton.

Both refracting telescopes and reflecting telescopes have benefits, advantages and disadvantages. The key element here is that your needs are the main focus, and as you read this article, you will discover which type of telescope is best for your needs in backyard astronomy.

- Information About Refracting Telescopes
The design of the refracting telescope is also the type you find on binoculars, though in pairs! How a refracting telescope works, is that there is a lens at the front of the optical tube assembly.

Light enters the optical tube assembly, and goes right to the lenses at the back of the telescope. And finally meets the eye, where an image of Saturn, perhaps can be seen.

A refracting telescope is good, in that it is enclosed. The simple design, allows it to be maintenance free, for a number of years. The simple design also makes it easy to use, which is great as a telescope for children.

- Information About Reflecting Telescopes
How reflecting telescopes work, is that light enters the optical tube assembly, and goes straight to the back of the telescope, where it meets a big mirror. This mirror then reflects the light back up the tube.

Now, the light meets a secondary mirror, which is near to the top of the telescope. As the light bounces, it enters the lenses, and finally meets the eye.

Reflector telescopes are great in that they offer good price verses performance ratio. Reflecting telescopes can be much larger than refracting telescopes.

- Refracting Telescopes Compared With Reflecting Telescopes
Realize however, that the refracting telescopes are not cheap. Compared with reflecting telescopes they can be more expensive for similar performance.

For viewing the planets, buying a refracting telescope may be the best way to go, however, if you desire to see more of the heavens, there is nothing that compares, as with a reflecting telescopes. Though you may be able to get similar performance with refracting telescopes, you would need to invest a much bigger investment, which brings back the question - couldn't the investment in a reflecting telescope be much better?

Here are some telescope resources that can help you find and buy a telescope:

- Meade refracting telescopes

- Refractor telescopes for sale

- Buying astronomy binoculars

By Koz Huseyin
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Koz_Huseyin

A refracting telescope uses a lens as its objective to form an image. The refracting telescope was designed for used in a spy glass, but is also used in other devices such as binoculars and telephoto camera lenses.

There are two principles to a refracting telescope, an objective lens and an eyepiece. These two principles gather more light for the human eye and helps to focus and present it in a brighter, clearer, and magnified virtual image. A refractive telescope bends light to cause parallel light rays to converge at a focal point.

Galilean Telescopes are refracting telescopes. Galileo came up with the design in 1608 and uses a convex lens and a concave eyepiece lens. The Galilean telescope magnifies objects up to thirty times. The Galilean telescope was the first telescope to see the planet Jupiter and its moons.

The Keplerian Telescope, invent by Johannes Kepler in 1611 improves upon Galileo's design. The Keplerian Telescope uses a convex lens in opposition to Galileo's concave lens. This allows for a broader field of view and greater eye relief. However, the view is introverted.

An achromatic refractor is a refracting lens which was invented in 1733. The design over came the need for very long focal lengths and used two pieces of glass with different dispersion to limit the effects of chromatic and spherical aberration. Each side of each piece of glass is ground and polished, at which point the two pieces of glass are assembled together. Achromatic lenses bring two wavelengths together and focus them on the same plane.

Alex Sutton has worked in the telescopes profession for nearly 11 years. For more information please visit telescopes

By Alexander Sutton
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alexander_Sutton