If you've never heard about collimation, you probably don't spend a great deal of time using a telescope. For amateur and professional astronomers, using an optical telescope is essential. While you probably understand that a telescope helps you view faraway objects, you might not know how these optical instruments work or why you might need to use a collimator.
First of all, it can be helpful to understand that telescopes come in many forms. For instance, there are x-ray telescopes and also radio telescopes in use by scientists and engineers. The optical telescope is a helpful tool for many professions, including astronomers and people who captain a power boat or sailboat or perhaps even a large ocean vessel. This is the type of telescope with which most of us are well acquainted, and this device harnesses light and directs it in order to produce a magnified image of an object in the distance.
Within the world of optical telescopes, there are actually a few different types of these. Each type uses a different method to capture and magnify an image. For instance, a refracting telescope will use lenses to create the image you see. A reflecting telescope, as the name suggests, will use mirrors to create an image. The catadioptric telescope uses a combination of lenses and mirrors to create an image for the user.
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 it has cost and ease of use on its side, Newtonian telescopes can have problems regarding collimation. This means that the alignment of the telescope can need to be adjusted from time to time. Often when you move or jostled the telescope, it will come out of alignment, and collimation is the process by which you align the telescope in order to ensure that you have a clear image. While this might not be something that an amateur needs to be concerned about, professionals who use telescopes or perhaps other types of optical instruments will use a device known as an alignment collimator to ensure accurate positioning.
The alignment collimator is one tool that can be handy for optical instruments because it will improve precision and the quality of the images produced. However, there actually are all kinds of interesting alignment instruments that make our daily lives safer and easier. Every piece of machinery must be calibrated carefully to ensure that every single product or item produced is crafted precisely. Collimation and alignment are important for all sorts of industries, as well as for astronomers.
First of all, it can be helpful to understand that telescopes come in many forms. For instance, there are x-ray telescopes and also radio telescopes in use by scientists and engineers. The optical telescope is a helpful tool for many professions, including astronomers and people who captain a power boat or sailboat or perhaps even a large ocean vessel. This is the type of telescope with which most of us are well acquainted, and this device harnesses light and directs it in order to produce a magnified image of an object in the distance.
Within the world of optical telescopes, there are actually a few different types of these. Each type uses a different method to capture and magnify an image. For instance, a refracting telescope will use lenses to create the image you see. A reflecting telescope, as the name suggests, will use mirrors to create an image. The catadioptric telescope uses a combination of lenses and mirrors to create an image for the user.
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 it has cost and ease of use on its side, Newtonian telescopes can have problems regarding collimation. This means that the alignment of the telescope can need to be adjusted from time to time. Often when you move or jostled the telescope, it will come out of alignment, and collimation is the process by which you align the telescope in order to ensure that you have a clear image. While this might not be something that an amateur needs to be concerned about, professionals who use telescopes or perhaps other types of optical instruments will use a device known as an alignment collimator to ensure accurate positioning.
The alignment collimator is one tool that can be handy for optical instruments because it will improve precision and the quality of the images produced. However, there actually are all kinds of interesting alignment instruments that make our daily lives safer and easier. Every piece of machinery must be calibrated carefully to ensure that every single product or item produced is crafted precisely. Collimation and alignment are important for all sorts of industries, as well as for astronomers.
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.
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