Refracting Telescopes

Refracting telescopes use lenses to bend and focus light. The main components of a refracting telescope include a large objective lens, which gathers light, and an eyepiece lens, which magnifies the image formed by the objective lens. When light enters the telescope, it is refracted, or bent, by the objective lens, bringing the image into focus at the eyepiece where it can be viewed by the observer.

Reflecting Telescopes

Reflecting telescopes use mirrors to gather and focus light. The primary mirror at the bottom of the telescope gathers incoming light and reflects it back up to a smaller secondary mirror, which in turn reflects the light to the eyepiece. Reflecting telescopes are often preferred for astronomical observations because they can be made much larger and are free from the color distortion that can occur in refracting telescopes.

Study Guide for Telescopes

1. What is the main function of a telescope?
2. Identify and explain the two main types of telescopes.
3. Describe how a refracting telescope works.
4. Explain the function of the lenses in a refracting telescope.
5. Discuss the advantages of reflecting telescopes over refracting telescopes.
6. Why are reflecting telescopes often preferred for astronomical observations?
7. Compare and contrast the components of refracting and reflecting telescopes.
8. What are some key considerations when choosing a telescope for different types of observations?