How Do Telescopes Work: In Simple Terms

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If you love to look at the stars, then you have probably had the honor of looking through a telescope at one time or another. A telescope is a wonderful tool that allows us to see the starts up close. Through a telescope, we are able to view the moons of other planets as well as various other special bodies that are residents of the night sky. To some people, looking through their telescope is a great hobby, and to many others, owning a telescope of their own is a dream.

Whether you own your own telescope, or you have had the chance to see through one, you have probably wondered, “How do telescopes work?” This is a valid question, as the inner workings of a telescope are quite surprising. Refined over the years, the modern telescopes are more powerful and more durable than they have ever been before.

But how do telescopes work? Well there are two types of telescopes on the civilian market today. These two telescopes are called refractor telescopes and reflector telescopes. While both of these accomplish the same thing, they do so in very different ways. We will first look at refractor telescopes.

A refractor telescope is the most common kind of telescope on the market. We are quite used to seeing these telescopes at various stores, such as Wal-Mart. Refractor telescopes hold two lenses in place at the correct distance. The first lens is responsible for refracting the light towards the rear end of the telescope tube. The second lens then magnifies the image, and brings it to your eye. This is how you see large images from a long way away.

A reflector telescope gathers light using a mirror rather than a lens. This cuts down on chromatic aberration problems that lenses can have. The light is then reflected back into the tube, where it is then reflected into the eye piece so that the viewer can see a large and crisp image of the stars.

The answer to the question of, “How do telescopes work” is answered in a couple of ways. The telescope is an awesome piece of engineering that has allowed humanity to look out into the universe and bring it closer to home. This has fueled human desire to reach out and really touch the starts. For more information on telescopes visit www.MyFirstTelescope.com.