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The magnification of a telescope is the ratio of the effective focal length of the objective to the focal length of the eyepiece. For example, a small telescope's objective may have a focal length of 800mm. When an eyepiece with a focal length of 25mm is used, the magnification is 800/25 = 32.

The term "effective focal length" refers to the focal length of the objective as affected by any "focal extender". Many telescopes are designed to have a short total size, but high power, by "folding" the optical path. A mirror-type objective with a focal length of perhaps 800mm is coupled with a smaller curved mirror that intercepts the last 200mm and extends it to 800mm, a 4x extension, so that the effective focal length of that objective is 3200mm. Use that with a 25mm eyepiece and the magnification is 3200/25 = 128.

By the way, if a telescope is smaller than you are, it is seldom much use to view using a magnification greater than 50 to 100. Most objects are best viewed at relatively low powers such as 30 or so.

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Q: The magnification of a telescope is changed by changing the what?
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Does the diameter of a telescope control its magnification?

No, you can change the magnification of the telescope by simply changing the eyepiece. The two most important powers of the telescope, light-gathering power and resolving power, depend on the diameter of the telescope, but it does not control the magnification.


How can the magnifying power of a telescope be increased?

a telescope's magnification is calculated as the ratio of the focal length of the primary objective to the focal length of the eyepiece. Since a telescope is defined by the primary objective, this part of it is essentially unchangeable. Therefore, the way to increase magnification is to decrease the focal length of the eyepiece. For example, a 1000mm objective and a 25mm eyepiece yields a magnification of (1000/25) 40x. Changing the eyepiece to a 10mm eyepiece increases magnification to (1000/10) 100x.


What would be the effect on magnification to increase the focal length of microscope and telescope?

The focal length of a telescope is directly related to the magnification in that the longer the focal length, the more magnification you get from the telsceope. How the focal length of a telescope relates to the length of the telescope itself depends on the design of the telescope. In a refracting telescope, the focal length is approximately the length of the telescope. In a reflecting telescope, the focal length is roughly two time the length of the telescope.


Refers to a telescope's ability to make an object larger?

Magnification.


What is the small telescope on top of a larger telescope?

The small telescope (and sometimes it hardly has any magnification at all) is a "spotting scope" to assist in orienting the larger telescope.

Related questions

Does the diameter of a telescope control its magnification?

No, you can change the magnification of the telescope by simply changing the eyepiece. The two most important powers of the telescope, light-gathering power and resolving power, depend on the diameter of the telescope, but it does not control the magnification.


How can the magnifying power of a telescope be increased?

a telescope's magnification is calculated as the ratio of the focal length of the primary objective to the focal length of the eyepiece. Since a telescope is defined by the primary objective, this part of it is essentially unchangeable. Therefore, the way to increase magnification is to decrease the focal length of the eyepiece. For example, a 1000mm objective and a 25mm eyepiece yields a magnification of (1000/25) 40x. Changing the eyepiece to a 10mm eyepiece increases magnification to (1000/10) 100x.


What would be the effect on magnification to increase the focal length of microscope and telescope?

The focal length of a telescope is directly related to the magnification in that the longer the focal length, the more magnification you get from the telsceope. How the focal length of a telescope relates to the length of the telescope itself depends on the design of the telescope. In a refracting telescope, the focal length is approximately the length of the telescope. In a reflecting telescope, the focal length is roughly two time the length of the telescope.


Maximum magnification of a celestron astromaster 114eq telescope?

285 X maximum "usable" magnification


Refers to a telescope's ability to make an object larger?

Magnification.


What is the small telescope on top of a larger telescope?

The small telescope (and sometimes it hardly has any magnification at all) is a "spotting scope" to assist in orienting the larger telescope.


What is the Hubble space telescope's magnification?

It does not have a magnification properly speaking since it works as a camera, not a visual telescope. The aperture of the Cassegrain-Schmidt mirror is 2.4 m. The main camera has 16 MB.


What is the overhyped feature of telescope sales?

The magnification. What really matters about a telescope, the single most important piece of information, is the diameter of the main lens, or main mirror.The magnification. What really matters about a telescope, the single most important piece of information, is the diameter of the main lens, or main mirror.The magnification. What really matters about a telescope, the single most important piece of information, is the diameter of the main lens, or main mirror.The magnification. What really matters about a telescope, the single most important piece of information, is the diameter of the main lens, or main mirror.


What lens is changed on the microscope when the magnification is changed?

no lens is changed!


The magnification of a telescope is changed by changing the?

The magnification of a telescope is the ratio of the effective focal length of the objective to the focal length of the eyepiece. For example, a small telescope's objective may have a focal length of 800mm. When an eyepiece with a focal length of 25mm is used, the magnification is 800/25 = 32. The term "effective focal length" refers to the focal length of the objective as affected by any "focal extender". Many telescopes are designed to have a short total size, but high power, by "folding" the optical path. A mirror-type objective with a focal length of perhaps 800mm is coupled with a smaller curved mirror that intercepts the last 200mm and extends it to 800mm, a 4x extension, so that the effective focal length of that objective is 3200mm. Use that with a 25mm eyepiece and the magnification is 3200/25 = 128. By the way, if a telescope is smaller than you are, it is seldom much use to view using a magnification greater than 50 to 100. Most objects are best viewed at relatively low powers such as 30 or so.


Is it better to have a telescope with a high resolving power or a high magnification explain why?

haha


How has the Hubble telescope changed?

If they get changed