Directing Light: Some Information Regarding Optical Telescopes & Collimators

By Carey Bourdier


For most of use, the word collimation might sound very foreign and we probably don't know what it means. If, however, you spend a good deal of time working with telescopes, then this term may be familiar. This is especially true for those professional or amateur astronomers that use optical telescopes. These devices help people view distant objects and in order to do so, a collimator can be a helpful tool.

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.

In ancient time, optical devices that were similar to telescopes were created and used by civilizations such as Ancient Greece. As the years progressed, so did telescope design and Galileo is the astronomer who truly created the first quality telescopes for the study of the universe. As the years progressed, more advanced forms of telescopes were created including the Newtonian telescope, which was created by Sir Isaac Newton. This telescope design still is used today and can be a very cost-effective and easy-to-use telescope for the astronomy novice or amateur.

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.

Alignment instruments, such as an alignment collimator are useful for many different types of instruments. Alignment instruments are not just needed by those who study astronomy and use telescopes. These instruments also are needed by many professionals to ensure that different tools and equipment are aligned and accurate. While accuracy might not be crucial to a casual fan of astronomy, for many professionals it is of huge importance.




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