What is the difference between telescopes

They help people identify stars, planets, and more things that we cannot see from our position on earth. They help us better identify what exists in space. Telescopes have been around for hundreds of years, but they continue to grow more advanced.

A microscope gives us the ability to see small objects magnified, for an up-close look. There are multiple lenses that can be adjusted to give you varying magnified levels to observe your sample. In other words, you can see your subject at different intensities and magnification settings. Ultimately, a microscope acts as an advanced magnifying glass. You can see fine details and structures that would be invisible otherwise. A microscope changes the amount of light that enters your eye.

This is done by a light that reflects off of a mirror that is built into the microscope. This type of microscope provides a 3D view of an object that you could hold in your hand. There will not be light passing through the subject when using a stereo microscope. This one could be used for examining coins or buttons or something that you need to see the depth of detail for.

These are commonly used in labs or even schools. This type of microscope allows the person to use prepared slides that allow them to examine blood, bacteria, cells, etc. They offer a high resolution to look at all of the intense detail that your naked eye cannot see.

These are microscopes commonly used in biological studies that allow users to examine subjects on a petri dish. They use a curved mirror to focus light onto a second flat mirror, from which the light is directed to an eye-piece.

In order to work properly, Newtonian telescopes must have their mirrors perfectly aligned. This is called collimation, and is necessary to make sure that the optics of the telescope are effective.

Reflectors are the least expensive telescopes for their aperture size and large reflectors are easier to build than refractors of the same size. They are, however, still longer than an equivalent Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. Dobsonian telescopes are Newtonian telescopes held on a special mount by friction.

They are very cheap to build and simple to opperate, making them very popular with beginners and amateur astronomers. Is this your first telescope? Check out our telescope buying guide for some step by step help. For beginners in astrophotography, check out our video on how to build an astrophotography setup to get started! I want to buy a telescope which telescope is good for to see the planets with the good image in telescope I want to buy reflecator.

Whether you're a total beginner or an experienced amateur, this helpful guide compares 12 popular telescope designs to help you decide which telescope to buy! July 21, 2 Comments. March 11, 0 Comments. January 20, 0 Comments. January 06, 2 Comments. We will match any online price that we confirm as valid. The item must be the identical item, brand name, size, weight, color, quantity and model number. It must be in stock at the time of Price Match for us to make a guarantee.

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Browse brands. Share article. This is because large mirrors are cheaper to manufacture than high-quality glass for large refracting lenses. This is especially true as you get towards very large apertures and you are aiming for the highest quality optical performance.

However, this general rule only applies to larger aperture telescopes. Sometimes, for very small telescopes for example, below mm , refractors can offer the superior value. For smaller sizes, reflecting telescopes can be more expensive to manufacture due to their being more complex, with more sensitive internal components, compared to their refracting counterparts.

Once you consider maintenance and other factors, this can easily tip the scales towards refractors in terms of overall value. At TelescopeGuide. For this reason — we often recommend people consider starting their astronomy journey with a decent-sized Dobsonian telescope , or a tabletop reflector telescope. Both are great choices for a first telescope. One clear benefit of refracting telescopes is that they rarely if ever require maintenance.

The lens attaches securely to the optical tube, and it rarely moves enough to require adjustment. Additionally, there are no complex internal components that can come out of alignment. Thanks to the simplicity of their design, refracting telescopes are drop-dead easy to use and maintain.

If your priority is ease and convenience, and you are looking to be able to pull out your telescope anytime and use it in minutes, a refractor telescope offers clear advantages. This is not quite the case with reflectors.

Reflectors are a little more complicated. When you collimate a telescope, you need to make fine adjustments to the alignment of the optical elements. Collimation can take time and effort away from viewing. At least until you get good at it. Experienced astronomers can collimate a telescope in minutes. For beginners especially, refractors are a great choice because they are always ready to go.

But even for advanced users, a refractor offers simplicity and convenience that may be compelling. Bottom line: Refractors are drop-dead simple to use — which makes them perfect for true beginners. Reflectors will usually require a bit more maintenance. So, take a good look at the diagrams above in the article. Did you notice anything about the focal distance of the refractor vs. For reflecting telescopes, the optical tube is much smaller and more compact. For a compound telescope, it can be even smaller because the light is redirected multiple times.

With that said … this size difference really only matters once you start looking at larger telescopes. At the beginner stage, the size for lower-end refractors is really not a big deal.

However, as you get into more powerful refractors with larger lenses and longer focal lengths, these telescopes can get really big and heavy, making them more difficult to transport, balance, and maneuver. And, since the eyepiece is always at the far end of the main telescope tube, larger refractors can make for awkward positioning of the eyepiece.