The Practical Astronomer: Comprising illustrations of light and colours--practical descriptions of all kinds of telescopes--the use of the equatorial-transit--circular, and other astronomical instruments, a particular account of the Earl of Rosse's large telescopes, and other topics connected with astronomyDick, Thomas
Science
The Practical Astronomer: Comprising illustrations of light and colours--practical descriptions of all kinds of telescopes--the use of the equatorial-transit--circular, and other astronomical instruments, a particular account of the Earl of Rosse's large telescopes, and other topics connected with astronomy
Dick, Thomas
Astronomical instruments; Astronomy; Telescopes
The degree of magnifying power is in proportion to the
focal distances of the two glasses; that is, in the present case, in
the proportion of two inches, the focus of the small lens, to sixty
inches, the focus of the object lens. Divide sixty by two, the quotient
is thirty, which gives the magnifying power of such a telescope, that
is, it represents objects thirty times nearer, or under an angle thirty
times larger than to the naked eye. If the eye-glass, instead of being
two inches, were only one and a half inch focus, the magnifying power
would be in the proportion of one and a half to sixty, or forty times.
If the eye-glass were three inches focus, the magnifying power would
be twenty times; and so on, with regard to other proportions. In all
cases, where a telescope is composed of only two convex lenses, the
magnifying power is determined, _by dividing the focal distance of the
object-glass, by the focal distance of the eye-glass_, and the quotient
expresses the number of times the object is magnified, in length
and breadth. This and various other particulars, will be more fully
illustrated in the sequel.
In performing experiments with the camera obscura in a darkened
chamber, it is requisite that the following particulars be attended
to:--1. That the lens be well figured, and free from any veins or
blemishes that might distort the picture. 2. That it be placed
_directly against_ the object whose image we wish to see distinctly
delineated. 3. The lens should be of a proper size both as to its
breadth and focal distance. It should not be less than three or four
feet focal distance, otherwise the picture will be too small, and the
parts of objects too minute to be distinctly perceived; nor should
it exceed fifteen or eighteen feet, as in this case the picture will
be faint, and of course not so pleasing. The best medium as to focal
distance, is from five to eight or ten feet. The aperture, too, or
breadth of the glass, should not be too small, otherwise the image
will be obscure, and the minute parts of it invisible for want of a
sufficient quantity of light. A lens of six feet focal distance, for
example, will require an aperture of at least two inches. Lenses of a
shorter focal distance require less apertures, and those of a longer
focal distance larger. But if the aperture be too large, the image
will be confused, and indistinct, by the admission of too much light.
4. We should never attempt to exhibit the images of objects, unless
when the sun is shining and strongly illuminating the objects, except
in the case of very near objects placed in a good light. As one of the
greatest beauties, in the phenomena of the dark chamber, consists in
the exquisite appearance and contrast of light and shadows, nothing of
this kind can be perceived but from objects directly illuminated by the
sun. 5. A south window should never be used in the forenoon, as the sun
cannot then enlighten the north side of an object; and besides, his
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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