A telescope is a tool that astronomers use to see faraway objects. They work by using curved mirrors to gather and focus light from the night sky. Earlier lenses were preferred for this purpose, but nowadays, mirrors are preferred more. It’s because mirrors are lighter, and they are easier than lenses to make perfectly smooth. The mirrors or lenses in a telescope are called the “optics.” Really powerful telescopes can see very dim things and things that are really far away. The bigger the mirrors or lenses, the more light the telescope can gather. Light is then concentrated by the shape of the optics. That light is what we see when we look into the telescope. The optics of a telescope must be almost perfect. That means the mirrors and lenses have to be just the right shape to concentrate the light. They can’t have any spots, scratches or other flaws. If they do have such problems, the image gets warped or blurry and is difficult to see. It’s hard to make a perfect mirror, but it’s even harder to make a perfect lens.
How to use
Tutorial – Link
Common applications
1. To see far off things
2. In astronomy
Some example tasks t
hat students can try out in the ATL Lab
1. Observe the surface of the moon using a telescope.
2. Try to observe planets using the telescope
Safety Measures to follow
1. Don’t try to look at the sun or any bright material through a telescope as it can even lead to blindness.
2. Carry the telescope with care as it has many delicate parts.
Important Links
1. How does a telescope work – ()
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5v7bN13PjZ82.
How to set up and align telescope – ( )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqL3PVsSU6w3.
Observing moon through a telescope – ( )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wvb6wkqLTAM
