Reflector telescope
AssigneeCape Instruments Ltd.
InventorPeter Wise
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A compact reflector telescope has a spherical primary reflector and a secondary reflector with a negative lens interposed there between in axial alignment therewith. Light reflected from the primary reflector is passed through the negative lens and is diverted by the secondary reflector to a positive lens at the side of the telescope tube. The positive lens focuses the light rays onto an eye piece or ocular or onto a photographic emulsion or electronic detector. The telescope reduces or substantially eliminates spherical aberration and can be configured to have a focal ratio significantly greater than the focal ratio of the primary reflector. The telescope produces a flat field of view and an image which is substantially diffraction limited.
Claims6
A catadioptric telescope comprising:
- a generally cylindrical primary tube;
- a spherical primary reflector;
- a planar secondary reflector directed generally toward the primary reflector, and angled at approximately 45° to reflect light rays toward a side of the tube;
- first correcting means;
- and
- second correcting means, wherein
- the first correcting means comprises
- a negative lens positioned between the primary reflector and the secondary reflector at a distance from the primary reflector such that all reflected rays from the primary reflector are converging when they are collected by the first correcting means;
- and
- the second correcting means comprises
- a positive lens positioned such that parallel rays reflected from the secondary reflector are collected by the positive lens which focuses the rays toward an image plane.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.