Telescope Topics

Aspects of instruments and observing, explained by IAN MORISON

Thoughts about
eyepieces
Some basics sky is given
A telescope produces an image of the sky or an approximately
object like the Moon in what is called its focal by the apparent
plane. This lies at a distance from the objective field of view
lens or mirror given by its focal length, F. The divided by the
purpose of the eyepiece is simply to allow one magnification,
to observe this image in detail, rather like using so if the 10 mm
a magnifying glass to see fine detail in an eyepiece above
object — in fact, a magnifying glass could be had an apparent
used to as an eyepiece though it would not be a field of view of
good one! An eyepiece too has a focal length, 52° then the
say f, which can vary from ~2.5 mm up to 55 actual field when
mm. Eyepieces with shorter focal lengths allow used with the
one to observe the image in greater detail but 1200 mm focal
also reduce the area of the image that can be length telescope
observed at one time. The ratio F/f gives what would be
is called the magnification. For example, a 10 ~52/120 = 0.43°.
mm eyepiece used with a 1200 mm focal length The second
telescope gives a magnification of 120. key parameter is
A selection of eyepieces and Barlow lenses (all images by Peter Grego).
Apart from the focal length, there are two fur- what is called the
ther key parameters of any given eyepiece. The eye relief and is basically how close your eye come equipped with three element eyepieces
first is the apparent field of view. This can must be to the eye lens of the eyepiece to see all such as the Kellner or Modified Achromat. At
range from about 30° up to about 82°. Those of the image. With simple eyepieces the eye the centre of their somewhat modest field of
with wider apparent fields of view will enable relief gets less the shorter the focal length of view, they can give excellent images, but tend
the observer to see more sky at one time, which the eyepiece and will often not allow the to suffer what is called ‘lateral colour’ towards
is very useful. The actual field of view on the observer to wear of glasses when observing the edge of the field of view.
through them. This is
not a real problem Standard eyepieces
unless one’s eye is Higher priced telescopes may well come with
badly astigmatic. Plossl eyepieces made from two achromatic
Long eye relief eye- doublets. These can be excellent performers
pieces (~20 mm of usually having an apparent field of view of ~
eye relief) also tend 52°. Variations of Plossl eyepieces which use a
to be easier for those 5th element can improve the performance even
unused to using tele- more; the Celestron Ultimas were an excellent
scopes to look example. There are also long eye relief eye-
through so are very pieces (~20 mm) with similar apparent fields of
useful for star parties. view such as the Vixen Lanthanum range and
Celestron X-Cel range.
Simple eyepieces
For many years the Barlow lenses
standard eyepieces Though not specifically an eyepiece, many
were either Ramsden astronomers will have a Barlow lens in their
or Huyghenian which eyepiece case. This is usually an achromatic
used just two glass doublet which diverges the cone of light from
elements to form an the objective, be it lens or mirror, and so
image. Their appar- increases its effective focal length — usually
ent fields of view by a factor of two. This doubles the magnifica-
were very small and tion when used with a given eyepiece so the use
so have fallen out of of a Barlow is equivalent to having extra eye-
favour. They are, pieces. If your telescope came with 26 mm and
however, useful for 10 mm eyepieces, the use of a ×2 Barlow will
projecting images of give you the effect of having additional 13 and
the Sun as the there 5 mm eyepieces. One advantage is that the eye
are no cemented glass relief of the effective 5 mm eyepiece is that of
elements which could the 10 mm eyepiece and would thus be easier to
be damaged by the use than if one bought a 5 mm eyepiece of the
Sun’s heat. same type. Televue make an improved form of
Low cost tele- Barlow using four elements called the
scopes will tend to Powermate. These are superb, if a little costly.

10 Popular Astronomy / October-December 2007

 Telescope Topics
Wide field eyepieces 2-inch eyepieces
There is now a lot of interest in what are called The maximum field of
‘wide field’ eyepieces. These have wider than view that can be
normal apparent fields of view ranging from observed with a given
~60° up to ~82° so enabling one to observe a telescope obviously
wider field of view for a given magnification. depends on its focal
One can thus use a shorter focal length to length — the shorter
encompass a given object in the sky. This the focal length the
increases the magnification which, in turn, wider the field — but it
darkens the sky background so enabling fainter also depends on
stars to be seen. Eyepieces with ~80 mm appar- whether the focuser has
ent field of view give a rather nice ‘space walk’ a barrel size of 1.25 or
feel which can be very satisfying. To achieve 2 inches. If your tele-
such wide apparent fields of view up to eight scope focuser has a
glass elements are required, so such eyepieces 1.25 inch barrel size,
are not cheap! then a 32 mm Plossl or
The cheaper of such eyepieces tend to have a 24 mm Televue
apparent fields of view in the range 60 to 68° Panoptic will give the
(compared to ~52° for Plossls). Vixen provide widest possible field of
a set of Lanthanum LVW eyepieces which have view as their field stops
apparent fields of 65°. Celestron have an are 27 mm across —
Axiom range which have apparent fields of 70° about the maximum
as do the Meade Series 4000 QX and 5000 you can fit into a 1.25
SWA eyepieces. Televue Radian eyepieces inch barrel. A 2 inch
have a field of view of 60° and their Panoptic barrel can accommo-
eyepieces, 68°. Beyond 70° fields of view, eye- date a field stop of ~46
pieces get very expensive. Some of the best mm so you can see sig-
wide field eyepieces are the Televue Naglers nificantly more. The
and Meade series 5000 UWA with their 82° Televue 31 mm Nagler
apparent fields of view. is perhaps the ultimate
2 inch
w i d e
Two 30 mm focal f i e l d
length eyepieces e y e -
compared — an piece,
ultrawide 2-inch but the
barrel eyepiece and T M B
an old 1.25 inch Paragon
barrel Plossl. 40 mm
eyepiece
is almost
as good
and sig-
nificant-
ly cheap-
er.
It was
f u n
building
up my
eyepiece Next issue:
collection — I hope you will Schmidt-Newtonian and
enjoy adding to yours! Maksutov-Newtonian telescopes.

Popular Astronomy / October-December 2007 11