Re: 8" performing like a 12" in angular resolution?

On 29 Apr 2005 20:31:18 -0700, "Sidney" <fieldphoton99@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>http://www.thunderbirdtechnology.com/Other%20Pages/AiryDiscAndAngularResolution.htm
>
>Towards the end of the above site. It is mentioned that
>putting a magnifying glass in front of the primary mirror
>can create better resolution (smaller angular sizes). Is
>their a commercial product that uses this approach? Why
>and why not??

I'm not buying it. You can put a lens in there and change the _physical_
size of the Airy disk, but you are also changing the focal length of the
system, and the _angular_ size of the Airy disk is going to be
unaffected: it is determined by the diameter of the aperture (assuming
perfect optics, of course). You can't fool Mother Nature!

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
.

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