![]() The larger the aperture, the more light and more information that can be captured. In photography, the aperture is the diameter of the lens or mirror that is letting the light come in. If you have ever had the chance to use a professional DSLR camera you may already have a basic idea of how it works, but if you haven’t, we’ll explain. What is aperture?Īt its core, the concept of aperture is very simple. You will also get something out of this guide as understanding how your equipment works will help you get better, especially if you are into astrophotography because if you are able to play with the setting you will be able to take much better shots. Maybe you are an intermediate or advanced stargazer but you never really bothered to understand what aperture does. You will hear that it is a telescope’s most important specification or that it is the only number that matters when you are shopping for one, but what everyone misses is explaining why it is so critical in a helpful, easy to understand way. When I performed this exercise before buying my first telescope it was clear to me that a 10-inch reflector on a Dobsonian mount was the right one for me: I live in a city, I have a wide balcony, and a limited budget.Īnd if you come to the conclusion that you have to get a telescope with a relatively small aperture, but you live under heavy light pollution, then don't be disheartened: instead look into "electronically assisted astronomy" (EAA) - using a small telescope, a sensitive astro-camera, and a computer, you'll be able to detect objects that your eyes alone would never be able to see.When you are just getting started with astronomy and you are thinking about getting your first telescope you will hear a lot about aperture. You'll need to weigh up all of these considerations, as well as your budget, and when you've done so the perfect telescope for you should become apparent. My 250mm reflector fits perfectly on the back seat of a car, and in two hours I can be far away from the light pollution but I personally have to hire a car if I want to do that. But I can easily carry the 80mm up a mountain and away from light pollution, and in those conditions I'll see a lot more with it than my city-bound 250mm will show me. If I put my 250mm aperture telescope alongside my 80mm aperture telescope then the views in the larger aperture are a lot brighter, (and bigger, due to the longer focal length). There's a big difference between opening a door and wheeling out a large telescope, and carrying a 35kg metal tube up and down several flights of stairs. For this reason you see many amateur astronomers downsizing when they get into their 70s. How heavy a telescope can you physically lift and carry outside?įor many people, as they get older they can't carry heavy things as easily as they once could. ![]() The trick is to get the largest aperture telescope that you will actually use, and this is very personal: ![]() As you increase the magnification (by changing eyepieces) you'll notice the image will become dimmer, and after a certain point it will also become blurred and will lose detail (atmospheric disturbance, which changes from night to night and from minute to minute, also affects this). With larger objects, such as planets, the aperture also determines the resolution: the amount of detail you're able to see. The brightness of any object you observe is determined by the aperture of the telescope ("light grasp"). Both statements are correct: aperture is the most important factor, and many large aperture telescopes are resold due to lack of use.
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