Refracting Telescope - Physics Demonstrations - Refracting Telescope | Physics Undergraduate Labs

NEVER point the telescope at the sun or allow it to be aimed toward windows where sunlight might enter. The concentrated light can cause immediate and permanent eye damage or start fires. Cover the objective lens when not in use.

Purpose

Demonstrates image formation, magnification, and image orientation in a refracting telescope. Students observe how objective and eyepiece lenses combine to magnify distant objects, and see how a diagonal mirror produces single-axis image inversion.

$Orion refracting telescope with black tube on silver tripod with equatorial mount and slow-motion cable controls$

Wall clock viewed through telescope eyepiece, numbers and text mirror-reversed left-to-right, with circular vignetting

Figure 1: Orion refractor on equatorial mount with slow-motion cable controls for aiming. The eyepiece is at the rear with a diagonal mirror for comfortable viewing angle.

Figure 2: View through the eyepiece showing a wall clock with the image mirror-reversed along one axis due to the diagonal mirror. Note the circular vignetting characteristic of eyepiece viewing.

Safety Warnings

Danger: Sun Exposure Warning

Purpose