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Wednesday, August 29, 2007Telescope magnification
Hardly a day passes that a beginner does not ask me about the maximum magnification possible with this model of telescope or that model of telescope. I patiently explain all the basics and variables of observing and point out that the quest to know the maximum magnification of any telescope is pointless.
Being more of a positive person than a negative one, I'd just like to make a sales pitch for low magnification in a telescope. Listen up, you beginners! Life as an observer is easier and more enjoyable at low magnifications. Images are brighter and sharper - image quality is better at low power. Your telescope is also easier to control and use at low magnifications - it's simpler to locate objects, because you have a wider field of view and, for the same reason, large objects, such as star clusters and nebulae, look better at low power because you see more of them. Then, too, an object stays visible in the eyepiece longer at low power and low power is also less demanding in the way of mount stability and quality. Okay, if you still don't believe, I invite you to go to an astronomy club outing, sometime, and see what magnification some folks are using in their really large telescopes. Better yet, take the opportunity to see what a big telescope can do at low power. The view, I promise, will take your breath away. Magnification is such a small part of astronomy. Comments: |
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