Practical Calculations for the Newtonian Secondary Mirror
Abstract
A Newtonian reflecting telescope can be designed to perform more efficiently than any other type of optical system, if one is careful to follow the laws of nature. One must have optics made from precision Pyrex or a similar material and figured to a high quality. The mounting hardware must be well planned out and properly constructed using highest quality materials. The Newtonian can be used for visual or photographic work, for "deep sky" or "planetary" observing, or a combination of all these. They are easy to layout and to construct using simple household tools. The design mathematics is simple and can be easily accomplished by hand calculator. The Newtonian reflector can be easily modified for other types of observing such a photometry, photography, CCD imaging, micrometer work, and more. Some fundamentals in Newtonian design will be discussed along with methods of optimizing existing telescopes if one chooses not to build from the ground up. However, when selecting the aperture and focal length of a new telescope we must first decide what the instrument is going to be used for.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 15, 2001
- Accession Number
- ADA391636
Entities
People
- Jeff Beish