Making Your Own Telescope

Complete, detailed instructions and numerous diagrams for constructing a do-it-yourself telescope. No complicated mathematics are involved, and no prior knowledge of optics or astronomy is needed to follow the text's step-by-step directions. Contents cover, among other topics, materials and equipment; tube parts and alignment; eyepieces, and related problems; setting circles; and optical principles. 1973 ed. Appendixes. Index. 6 plates. 100 figures.

Chapter I. STORY OF THE TELESCOPE

1

(26)

The Galilean Telescope

2

(1)

The Keplerian Telescope

3

(3)

The Gregorian Telescope

6

(1)

The Cassegrainian Telescope

7

(1)

The Newtonian Telescope

8

(3)

Further Developments

11

(3)

Herschel's Contributions

14

(2)

The Achromatic Refractor

16

(2)

The Modern Era

18

(3)

Reflector or Refractor?

21

(3)

What Size Reflector?

24

(3)

Chapter II. MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT

27

(12)

The Template

29

(1)

Channeling Tool

30

(1)

Grinding Stand

30

(1)

Mirror Testing Rack

30

(1)

Testing Stands

31

(1)

Foucault Testing Device

31

(3)

Theory of the Foucault Test

34

(5)

Chapter III. MIRROR GRINDING

39

(12)

Strokes

39

(1)

What Abrasive Does

40

(1)

How the Curve Is Obtained

41

(1)

We Go to Work

42

(3)

How to Determine Contact

45

(2)

Cleaning Up

47

(1)

Fine Grinding

47

(3)

Examining for Pits

50

(1)

Chapter IV. THE PITCH LAP 51

Making the Lap

51

(2)

A Better Lap

53

(4)

Making Contact

57

(2)

Chapter V. POLISHING - TESTING- CORRECTING

59

(14)

Theory of Polishing

59

(1)

Polishing Procedure

60

(2)

How to Use the Foucault Device

62

(5)

Further Polishing

67

(1)

Examining for Pits

68

(1)

Correcting

69

(1)

Turned-down Edge

70

(1)

Turned-up Edge

70

(1)

Correcting the Oblate Spheroid

71

(1)

Correcting the Hyperboloid

72

(1)

Chapter VI. THE PARABOLOID

73

(17)

The Reference Spheres

75

(1)

Knife-edge Magnification

76

(1)

Surface Tolerance

77

(1)

Error of Observation

78

(1)

Testing the Paraboloid

78

(7)

Testing at Focus

85

(1)

Test for Astigmatism

85

(1)

Parabolizing Strokes

86

(3)

Aluminizing

89

(1)

Chapter VII. THE DIAGONAL

90

(21)

How Large a Diagonal?

91

(6)

Preliminary Preparations

97

(1)

How Flat a Diagonal?

98

(1)

The Light Source

99

(1)

Testing for Flatness

100

(3)

Making the Diagonal

103

(3)

The Lap

106

(1)

Polishing and Testing

106

(2)

An Elliptical Flat

108

(3)

Chapter VIII. TUBE PARTS-ALIGNMENT-THE FINDER

111

(13)

The Mirror Cell

111

(2)

The Tube

113

(1)

Eyepiece Support

114

(2)

Diagonal Holder

116

(1)

Spider Support

117

(2)

The Saddle

119

(1)

Optical Alignment

120

(1)

The Finder

121

(3)

Chapter IX. EYEPIECES AND RELATED PROBLEMS

124

(13)

Magnification

124

(2)

Field of View

126

(1)

Exit Pupil and Eye Relief

126

(3)

Eyepieces

129

(3)

Aberrations of the Eyepiece

132

(2)

Assembling Eyepiece Components

134

(3)

Chapter X. THE MOUNTING

137

(18)

The Babbitted Bearings

142

(3)

Further Suggestions

145

(1)

A Portable Mounting

145

(1)

The Tripod

146

(2)

Machining the Parts

148

(7)

Chapter XI. ALUMINIZING AND CLEANING

155

(5)

Aluminizing

155

(2)

Packing for Shipment

157

(1)

Care of the Optical Parts

158

(2)

Chapter XII. SETTING CIRCLES - EQUATORIAL ADJUSTMENT

160

(9)

Making the Circles

160

(1)

Adjustment of the Tube

161

(1)

Adjustment of the Polar Axis

162

(5)

Sidereal Time from the Stars

167

(1)

Locating True North by the Sun

167

(2)

Chapter XIII. OPTICAL PRINCIPLES - ATMOSPHERE - MAGNITUDES

169

(16)

The Diffraction Image of a Star

171

(1)

Resolving Power

172

(3)

Diffraction from Obstructions

175

(1)

Extra-focal Diffraction Rings

176

(1)

Atmosphere, and Thermal Disturbances

177

(4)

The Limiting Visual Magnitude of a Telescope

181

(1)

Aberrations of the Paraboloid

182

(3)

Chapter XIV. A SECOND TELESCOPE

185

(10)

Long-focus Telescopes

186

(1)

Short-focus Telescopes

187

(3)

A 4¼ inch Telescope of Long Focus

190

(1)

Larger Instruments

191

(1)

Testing Notes

192

(1)

Tolerable Knife-edge Error

193

(2)

Appendix A. SECONDARY REFLECTIONS

195

(7)

Disks of Unequal Sizes

195

(1)

Broken Disks

195

(1)

Concrete Suggestions

195

(1)

Blind Flanges

196

(1)

Springs

196

(1)

Working Time

196

(1)

Observing the Sun

197

(1)

An Exclusively Solar Telescope

198

(600)

A Too-bright Moon

798

Sunspot Projection

198

(1)

A Driving Clock

199

(2)

Fluoride Coatings

201

(1)

Tying the Tripod Legs

201

(1)

Appendix B. MAKING AN OPTICAL FLAT

202

(3)

Appendix C. BIBLIOGRAPHY

205

(2)

Index

207

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Making Your Own Telescope

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