The Newton Reflector Telescope

Englische Version des Artikels "Das Newton-Spiegelteleskop" 209.NST

Small change, big effect

Isaac Newton (1643-1727) solved the previous problems of refracting telescopes in 1668 with the invention of his reflecting telescope. He simply replaced the converging lens with a converging mirror. The light is reflected in a bundle and directed sideways into an eyepiece by a small, slanted flat mirror. Newton's first mirrors, which he ground and polished himself with tools he built for the purpose, had diameters of 25 and 50 mm, a focal length of 300 mm and could magnify about 30 times.

We can do what Newton could

The performance of the AstroMedia reflecting telescope is about the same as Newton's first homemade instruments. The centrepiece is the main mirror, a spherical precision mirror made of ground and polished glass with a diameter of 70 mm and a focal length of 450 mm, which was specially calculated and manufactured for this kit. The eyepieces are equipped with optics made of acrylic glass. Thanks to the friendly advice of Wolfgang Busch, Ahrensburg, it was possible to find lens arrangements that avoid colour errors and distortions as far as possible. They provide 16x and 30x magnification and enable the viewing of lunar craters and, with careful adjustment of the main mirror, also of Jupiter's moons. For observing sunspots, a solar filter attachment with the Baader AstroSolarTM solar filter foil is available as an accessory.

In Newton's footsteps

Of course, a telescope made of cardboard cannot compete with a much more expensive massive instrument, but with this kit you have the opportunity to follow in Newton's footsteps and carry out all the assembly steps yourself, and in the end you will be as surprised by the result as Newton himself was by his first reflecting telescope.