Refracting Telescope: Today's Modern Galileo Telescope

Ever since the Galileo Telescope, as a refracting telescope, evolved to the modern optical instrument as it is today, more and more are using it as their choice for their astronomical and stargazing activities.

Galileo telescope was not the first refracting telescope. We all know all that Hans Lippershey build the first. Nonetheless, it was the first optical instrument to be used for serious astronomical and stargazing purposes. More or less, this type of astronomical telescope works on a similar concept as how the microscope does.

The monocular is a lightweight type of refracting telescope. Its bulk is half that of the binocular, and works by enlarging the object by letting light go through a couple of lenses as well as prisms.

Parts of refracting telescope

1. Hard Plastic or metal tube - this part of the telescope holds the scope lenses

2. Objective or convex glass lens located at the front of the tube – so-called because it is the lens closer to the particular object being viewed. This type of lens refracts the light it gathers, and focuses it at a point to the rear end of the tube. Objective lenses have longer focal lengths than the eyepieces. Focal length means the measure of how strong a lens focuses light. Long focal length means higher magnification power.

3. Eye Lens or Eyepiece - the lens nearer to the eye. Likewise a convex lens, it brings and magnifies the images to your eye.

Advantages of refracting telescope

1. Despite its tube length, it is easy to set-up and requires minimum maintenance

2. You would want to use a refracting telescope which is perfect for viewing the moons or the planets

3. Objective lens is fixed permanently to the telescope, thereby minimizing optical damage.

Disadvantages of refracting telescope

1. One major disadvantage: Because the lens bends the light it gathers, the result of the image is not very clear.

2. Because its aperture or hole through which light passes through is limited, it makes this telescope less capable of clearly viewing distant astronomical objects.

3. Its tube is longer, hence heavier than the reflecting telescope or Newtonian telescope.

Thanks to Galileo Galilei and his Galileo telescope, its evolution which is the refracting telescope of today has become one of the more reliable optical instruments for astronomical endeavors.