If astronomy is a favorite pastime of yours and you enjoy spending many hours gazing through a telescope at the sky, then the words collimation and collimator might be familiar to you. For the rest of us, while we understand that a telescope helps one look at an object or image that is a great distance away, we probably are quite unfamiliar with the collimation and why it can be a necessary step when using a telescope.
Not all telescopes need a collimator and not all telescopes are optical telescopes. Radio telescopes, x-ray telescopes and other types of telescopes also can be handy for astronomers, but they will not need a collimator in order to work precisely. With an optical version of a telescope, light is directed and focused and this is how an image is magnified. It doesn't have to be just to view the night sky; however, telescopes also are handy tools for ship captains.
These optical telescopes come in several different forms, including reflecting telescopes, refracting telescopes and catadioptric telescopes. With a reflecting telescope, a set of mirrors are arranged in order to reflect light and create an image. With refracting telescopes, the images are created using carefully arranged lenses. The third type of optical telescope, the catadioptric variety, actually uses both of these (lenses and mirrors) to create the image.
Optical telescopes, in very crude forms, were developed by the ancient Greeks although Galileo is credited with improving this optical instrument for its use in astronomy. Sir Isaac Newton developed a reflecting telescope which is known as the Newtonian telescope and this is still in use today. Often this is used by the amateur astronomer because of its low cost and ease of use.
While you can enjoy excellent images of the night sky with a Newtonian telescope, collimation can present a problem. These telescopes, when moved, can fall out of alignment and this affects the accuracy of the images that are produced. You can learn to collimate your Newtonian telescope, although for many amateurs this step really won't be necessary and you don't need the same level of accuracy as a professional. When it comes to a professional astronomer, a telescope can be realigned with a device called an alignment collimator. These are used to improve image quality and positioning for professional-level telescopes as well as other optical instruments.
Alignment collimators are just one type of alignment instrument out there on the market. Proper alignment and calibration is highly important for all types of equipment and not just an optical instrument such as a telescope. All types of machinery must be aligned perfectly in order to ensure that products are created to exact specifications. Companies often hire technicians to come and calibrate and align machinery as needed throughout the year. As you can see, the world of alignment and collimation extends far beyond the needs of the Newtonian telescope.
Not all telescopes need a collimator and not all telescopes are optical telescopes. Radio telescopes, x-ray telescopes and other types of telescopes also can be handy for astronomers, but they will not need a collimator in order to work precisely. With an optical version of a telescope, light is directed and focused and this is how an image is magnified. It doesn't have to be just to view the night sky; however, telescopes also are handy tools for ship captains.
These optical telescopes come in several different forms, including reflecting telescopes, refracting telescopes and catadioptric telescopes. With a reflecting telescope, a set of mirrors are arranged in order to reflect light and create an image. With refracting telescopes, the images are created using carefully arranged lenses. The third type of optical telescope, the catadioptric variety, actually uses both of these (lenses and mirrors) to create the image.
Optical telescopes, in very crude forms, were developed by the ancient Greeks although Galileo is credited with improving this optical instrument for its use in astronomy. Sir Isaac Newton developed a reflecting telescope which is known as the Newtonian telescope and this is still in use today. Often this is used by the amateur astronomer because of its low cost and ease of use.
While you can enjoy excellent images of the night sky with a Newtonian telescope, collimation can present a problem. These telescopes, when moved, can fall out of alignment and this affects the accuracy of the images that are produced. You can learn to collimate your Newtonian telescope, although for many amateurs this step really won't be necessary and you don't need the same level of accuracy as a professional. When it comes to a professional astronomer, a telescope can be realigned with a device called an alignment collimator. These are used to improve image quality and positioning for professional-level telescopes as well as other optical instruments.
Alignment collimators are just one type of alignment instrument out there on the market. Proper alignment and calibration is highly important for all types of equipment and not just an optical instrument such as a telescope. All types of machinery must be aligned perfectly in order to ensure that products are created to exact specifications. Companies often hire technicians to come and calibrate and align machinery as needed throughout the year. As you can see, the world of alignment and collimation extends far beyond the needs of the Newtonian telescope.
About the Author:
Carey Bourdier enjoys writing reviews on precision scientific instruments. For further info about an alignment collimeter, or to know more info about surveying instruments, visit the WarrenKnight.com website today.
No comments:
Post a Comment