Telescopes 101

Bill Phillips, CAS Member

We are going to talk about the basic optical principles that come into play when you use a telescope, including, most importantly, the optics of your eye. We will also cover the basic types of telescopes available today and the pros and cons of each. Lastly we will look at the process of imaging with a CCD camera, and how it leads to demands on the optical system that differ from a visual telescope. Fortunately there are some scope designs that do both jobs well.