Telescope tech

[Rifter]

how far along has telescope technology got in the last few years?

For example can you buy something in the use at home size range that could see a car on the moon?

 

[gevorg]

Not much in optics, but more and more models are motorized now with build-in databases of Messier objects, etc. Just setup, align, and choose your object. Also, astrophotography becomes easier and cheaper. No magic shortcuts to see car on the Moon, but a good ol' Dobsonian is still your best bet. 🙂

 

[Wizlem]

Even if a telescope was optically perfect, what you are talking about is a magnification of something like 1,000,000X. While its probably very possible to make a lense combination that will achieve that, it also means if you want to see it you would need some sort of sensor that could achieve greater sensitivity than the eye such that the sensitivity of the sensor times the diameter of the telescope is somewhere in the ballpark of 1,000,000 times the sensitivity of the eye times the diameter of the pupil.

 

[Gibsons]

Any chance we'll see adaptive optics in a reasonably priced telescope in the near future?

 

[Biftheunderstudy]

You're probably SOL unless my math is wrong.

To see a car (lets say 2m) from the earth, it has an angular size of around a milliarcsecond.

A diffusion limited telescope that is 200m across would have a chance of resolving that.

 

[pandemonium]

The highest usable magnification from ground that you can get, in terms of at-home telescope usage, is around 350-400x. Beyond 300x'ish and atmospheric distortion destroys resolution.

Adaptive optics resolve atmospheric distortions, to an extent, however I've not seen any notable manufacturers employing it yet for their consumer products. Would be pretty awesome...and also pretty expensive. >.<

 

[Rifter]

Ok good to know guys thanks for the input. I have a old telespoce my dad bought me like 20 years ago thats a 100x, just was hoping optics advanded as fast as computers and today was hoping for somehting 10-20x as powerful. Probably going to get back into astronomy and star/planet watching.

 

[pandemonium]

Magnification is a result of the eye piece and Barlow adapters you're using against the focal length of the tube. The main thing to know is the limits of your telescope's focal length. To put it simply, the more light collection (larger the diameter of the tube; also known as aperture), the higher magnification you can resolve, up to where atmospheric conditions limit ground-based optics (e.g. 300x).

Simple math for it is:
Focal length mm (milimeters) = Magnification
Lens mm

Telescope designs haven't changed that much (in the last few hundred years even; aside from the quality of optics and mirror polishing), but depending on the quality of the telescope you already have, you may only need to get some more lenses. Find out which diameter your focuser is (either 1.25" or 2") and buy a decent starter kit with various focal lengths.

If doing so, make sure you keep in mind the limits of the telescopes maximum resolving magnitude (I can't stress this enough because you could be wasting time/money buying eyepieces that will virtually do nothing because of what your telescope is capable of). If you call Orion, Zhumell, Celestron, or the like (any reputable optics manufacturer), I'm sure they'll ask all the necessary questions to get you on the right path.

Or better yet, tell us the make/model of what you have already and I'll be glad to help more too. 🙂

 

[Gibsons]

Adaptive optics resolve atmospheric distortions, to an extent, however I've not seen any notable manufacturers employing it yet for their consumer products. Would be pretty awesome...and also pretty expensive. >.<

This was my question. I guess it could maybe be made at a reasonable cost if you could get a really big production run, but I doubt the telescope market is large enough

 

[Sunny129]

The highest usable magnification from ground that you can get, in terms of at-home telescope usage, is around 350-400x. Beyond 300x'ish and atmospheric distortion destroys resolution.

Adaptive optics resolve atmospheric distortions, to an extent, however I've not seen any notable manufacturers employing it yet for their consumer products. Would be pretty awesome...and also pretty expensive. >.<

Santa Barbara Instrument Group (who are known for their CCD cameras) offer an AO unit. *EDIT* - its only ~$800.

 

[pandemonium]

Oh really? *ponders*

Thanks, Sunny!

 

[Sunny129]

that's probably the least expensive thing they make though LOL...take a look at some of their cameras.

 

[pandemonium]

Sweet jebus. I need to get me one of these!