Refracting Telescopes

 

Refracting Telescopes use a lens to gather light and bring the image to the eyepiece. These are the type of instruments that most people think of when they think of a telescope. They are fairly maintenance free and generally provide superb images of the moon, planets, star clusters and general sky gazing. They tend to be smaller in aperture than other types so they are not as good for viewing fainter sky objects such as galaxies and nebulae. Good quality refractors tend to be expensive. Beware of cheap refractors!

• Strengths: Great for viewing planets, the moon, star clusters, and splitting binary and multiple star systems. They have the classic telescope appearance.
• Weaknesses: Because of their small aperture they are less well adapted for viewing very faint objects such as galaxies and nebulae. They are also expensive to get one with good optics and reasonable aperture.  

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Catadioptric Telescopes / Reflecting Telescopes

Calculating Magnification and f/ratios / Buying Hints / Star Parties with Northern Stars

Northern Stars Explorations Page / Off Site Links about Telescopes  

Northern Stars Home Page 

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Northern Stars Planetarium and Educational Services,
Fairfield, ME 04937
(207) 453-7668
info@northern-stars.com