The flight of a bird, a scarlet sunset, a full moon or distant stars are capable of capturing the eye for a long time, causing delight and awe. The world around us is immediately filled with miracles and secrets, if you pay attention to them. Unfortunately, the life of a modern person often turns into a monotonous race for material wealth and distant goals; there is no time in it to stop, look around, notice and appreciate the beauty of being. Adults, immersed in numerous worries, forget how to look at the sky, although in childhood, dreaming, they worked on this watch.
But there is a simple way to break out of the grip of routine at least for a while. Buy a telescope / telescope that equips a person’s eyes with the ability to better see the world, focus on its countless and diverse details. You can even make a telescope with your own hands, but still, to enjoy all the features of this optical device, it is better to purchase it in a store.
A bit of history
Astronomers and dreamers have always wanted to take a closer look at the sky, but for the first time this became possible only in the 13th century. In 1268, the Englishman Roger Bacon, after a series of experiments with mirrors and lenses, created a prototype of all modern telescopes. His invention was not developed, since the technology of manufacturing optics was still at too low a level.
Almost two and a half centuries later, in 1509, the ingenious Da Vinci developed and drew in detail a telescope equipped with two lenses, described the principle of its operation, designed an advanced machine for its time for high-quality lens polishing, but mankind was not yet ready to accept this invention .
A true breakthrough took a century. In 1608, the great Galileo designed and created with his own hands a spyglass with a thirty-fold increase, although before that, optical instruments increased a maximum of three times. A similar leap in capabilities allowed the scientist to make a number of dizzying discoveries: spots on the Sun and its rotation, moons of Jupiter, phases of Venus, craters of the Moon, individual stars of the Milky Way. Galileo was the first to mass-produce telescopes, they were short-lived due to the paper case, but still began to spread rapidly throughout Europe, with great desire they were bought by sailors.
In 1611, in the book "Diopter" written by astronomer Kepler, a telescope was shown, which was called the Kepler system and noticeably surpassed Galileo's invention in optical capabilities. But Kepler’s pipe had one obvious flaw: it flipped the image 180 degrees. For astronomers, this flaw did not play much, but for travelers and sailors it became critical.
To flip the picture back, another lens was required, which made the spyglass large and too bulky. This problem was completely solved in 1850 by the Italian Ignazio Porro. He came up with a special system of mirror prisms that turned the image over without using an extra lens.
Types of Spotting Scopes
In the days of the Union, the range of optical instruments was very scarce. Perhaps the most sought-after telescopes were "Tourist" 1, 2, 3, and so on, which were produced by the Lyktarsky plant, located in the Moscow region. Today, a Russian consumer can choose among hundreds of models of telescopes from dozens of foreign and domestic manufacturers.
However, a large selection is sometimes difficult. The buyer is confused in the abundance of models, characteristics, obscure terms. In order to navigate a little in a wide assortment, you need to understand what type of telescopes are. They can be classified according to several criteria.
On the optical system:
- Mirror-lens system. In it, the combined system of mirrors and lenses is responsible for the image. Pros: image quality is better, lighter, less distortion. Cons: high price, fragility of mirrors.
- Lens system. Only lenses are installed in it. Pros: cheapness, durability. Cons: worse image.
By the availability of zoom:
- The increase is permanent.
- Multiplicity can be adjusted.
By the location of the eyepiece:
- The eyepiece and lens lie on the same axis.
- The ocular axis is at an angle to the axis of the lens.
According to the case material:
- Metal. Durable but heavy.
- Plastic. Lighter, but more fragile.
- Rubberized materials. Convenient to use.
By the diameter of the eyepiece and magnification. These two most important characteristics are primarily indicated when marking a telescope. The ability of the lens to collect light depends on the diameter of the lens at the inlet of the tube, and therefore, clarity, brightness, color reproduction, and image detail.
The magnification of telescopes usually varies from 15 to 100 times. But 15 times is a rather weak increase, which is suitable only for small children for entertainment. And optical devices with a hundredfold magnification are very expensive and massive, inappropriate for everyday life or traveling, it is advisable to use them in serious scientific research. The optimal multiplicity is considered to be values within 30-60 times.
Some telescopes are connected to modern digital cameras, this allows not only to conduct observations, but also to photograph everything that fell into the lens. Such optical devices are expensive, but for photography enthusiasts the costs are fully paid off with pleasure, which makes it possible to capture an enlarged world.
Accessories
When buying a telescope, one should not forget about the choice of necessary and simply useful accessories, which include:
- Convenient carrying case and bag. Spotting scopes are rather fragile devices, therefore they need to be protected from blows, dust, water. A reliable case and a special sturdy travel case will extend the life of the pipe. The shoulder bag is convenient when walking around the city or forest, the device is relatively safe, and you can quickly get it.
- Tripod. It allows you to comfortably conduct observations without hand fatigue and picture trembling.
- Adapters for connecting to external digital devices.
- Means for cleaning lenses.
- Light filters to observe objects that are too bright.
Buying Tips
There are a number of tricks to help you choose a good spyglass in the store and to avoid low-quality products.
- Some manufacturers, especially those with the unpronounceable Chinese labels, sin on their optical instruments to write very large multiples with a rather modest eyepiece diameter. This is either a direct deception, or such a tube will have a diameter of the exit pupil of the eyepiece that is too small for normal observation.
- When buying, it is necessary to inspect the device body. There should be no cracks or backlash. Spotting scopes are completely sealed, air or moisture entering them leads to condensation on the lenses and image distortion.
- The quality of optics can be assessed by the appearance of the lenses. Serious manufacturers are required to apply an antireflection layer on the lenses, which removes glare coming from bright objects. If this layer is there, then the lenses will be multi-colored, and at the same time, the reflection in them becomes fuzzy, blurred.
Criterias of choice
To choose a successful telescope and then not regret the choice, it’s not enough just to understand the technical characteristics well or have enough money. In choosing you need to observe the relevance and reasonableness. Three questions will help with this:
- Who is the telescope for?
- What is it for?
- In what conditions will it be used?
Hunting, travel, entertainment
- Designed for hunters, travelers and lovers of exploring the world.
- Observe animals and birds, distant ground objects, players or singers in stadiums and concerts.
- The pipe will most likely have to be worn on itself. Severe conditions: dust, water, dirt, shock.
Conclusion. For these purposes, a telescope with a magnification of 30 to 60 times in a sturdy case is quite suitable, but light enough so that it does not burden much when hiking or hunting.
To kid
- For kids and teens who eagerly explore the world or want to learn how to make a telescope.
- Look at everything around.
- Usually children are not particularly careful about things, so you need to be prepared that the child will drop the pipe, throw it in a pile with other toys, forget it in the rain or use it like a hammer.
Conclusion. It is better to buy an inexpensive telescope in a sturdy case with a low magnification. You can purchase a construction kit and assemble the pipe with your child. This will help him understand the design and principle of operation of the magnifying device. And then, after all, many children get their first knowledge of optical laws by reading Dragunsky’s short story “Spyglass,” in which the tube is assembled from a fragment of a mirror, magnet, buttons and nails.
Original gift
- For a person who appreciates rare, beautiful things.
- Perhaps the device will be rarely used, it will become an ornament.
- Sparing operating conditions.
Conclusion. Multiplicity, body strength, lens diameter are secondary characteristics. In such a pipe, the main thing is its appearance and the beauty of the case. There are quite a few telescopes with an original design. Alternatively, try to find Soviet products becoming a rarity. For example, the Tourist 3 telescopic telescope will be a great gift for a connoisseur of vintage items.
To the photographer
- For a professional photographer.
- For high-quality shooting of various objects.
- Usually, experts are sensitive to their tools, so it is unlikely that the spyglass will fall or fall into the rain.
Conclusion. We need a telescope with excellent optics, which does not allow distortions, on a reliable tripod, with the obligatory ability to connect to the camera. The multiplicity of the device and the diameter of the eyepiece depend on the specialization of the photographer.