An astronomical telescope is an important tool for observing celestial bodies. It is no exaggeration to say that without the birth and development of the astronomical telescope, modern astronomy would not exist.  With the improvement and enhancement of the performance of astronomical telescopes in various aspects, astronomy is also experiencing a great leap forward, rapidly advancing human understanding of the universe.  Read this article, and reveal everything about telescopes. Let’s get into the world of telescopes.

1. The Origin of astronomical telescopes  

In May 1609, Galileo learned from a friend that a Dutchman had made a mirror that could magnify objects.  Galileo was thrilled by the news.  When he worked out the principle of magnification, he soon invented the first astronomical telescope.  After constant refinement, the telescope was able to magnify objects 30 times.  Galileo’s telescope set the world on fire.  

In 1610, Galileo moved to Florence, where he used astronomical telescopes to observe the moon, Venus, Saturn, the sun and the Milky Way, etc., and discovered many astronomical phenomena.  Since then, astronomical observation has entered a new phase, astronomers no longer rely on the naked eye to understand the mysteries of the universe.  

2. The principle of astronomical telescopes  

Telescopes detect electromagnetic waves.  Optical telescopes detect visible light, which is called seeing the stars themselves;  Radio telescopes detect radio waves, which are a type of radio wave, and radio waves have lower frequencies than visible light.  However, the specific detection methods are also different.  

Optical telescopes look at light from stars, but many of those stars are long gone, and we see light from billions of years ago.  An optical astronomical telescope is divided into reflection, reflection and refraction reflection astronomical telescope.  As the name suggests, refracting telescopes use the imaging principle of a convex lens to see a real image;  The principle of the reflective telescope is to use the reflection of a plane mirror to see a virtual image;  A trans telescope combines the two and sees a virtual image.  

The radio telescope, belongs to the astronomical telescope used by professional observatories, it receives the radio waves from the stars, and then records the key data, including the intensity, spectrum, polarization, etc., at the same time, it is also equipped with professional information processing system to process the collected information.  Under such conditions, it is possible to observe objects that cannot be observed with ordinary optical telescopes, such as pulsars, quasars, interstellar organic molecules, and so on.  

3. Types and structures of astronomical telescopes  

An astronomical telescope consists of an objective lens and an eyepiece. The convex lens or concave reflector near the object is called an objective lens, and the one near the eye is called an eyepiece.  Astronomical telescopes can be divided into refracting telescope, reflecting telescope, refracting telescope, radio telescope, and space telescope.  

4. The Role of the Telescope  

Telescopes can increase the intensity of light per unit area, allowing fainter objects and more detail to be found.  In theory, as long as objects emit light, light can be transmitted. The problem is whether the transmitted light can still cause people to feel it, so there is no question about how far a telescope can see.  The function of an astronomical telescope is to increase the intensity of light per unit area.  A telescope is also a tool for people to explore the sky.  

5. The significance of telescopes in the history of astronomy  

The use of the telescope in the field of astronomical observation is a major revolution in the history of astronomy and has far-reaching significance.  

The use of telescopes in astronomy 400 years ago brought about great changes in European cosmology.  Before the advent of telescopes, Aristotle’s theory was that perfection beyond the lunar horizon was constant.  The moon, on the other hand, is seen by telescopes as having a bumpy surface.  

Galileo also used telescopes to discover that the Milky Way was made of stars, and discovered that Jupiter had four moons, which showed that not all the stars were centered on the Earth.  He also discovered that some planets have phases, waxing and waning like the moon.  All of these astronomical phenomena were discovered with the advent of the telescope, and some previous descriptions, perceptions, and theories of the celestial bodies were destroyed by the advent of the telescope, replacing them with more convincing astronomical theories based on the actual observations of the telescope.  

With the advent of astronomical telescopes, the visual range of mankind has been continuously expanded, the ability to explore the universe has been continuously enhanced, and one gratifying achievement after another has been made in the field of astronomy. The development of astronomy has also entered a new era, in the field of astronomy, astronomical telescopes can be said to be indispensable.  Without the birth and development of astronomical telescopes, there would be no modern astronomy.  With the improvement and enhancement of the performance of telescopes in various aspects, astronomy is also undergoing a great leap forward, rapidly promoting the continuous in-depth understanding of the universe.