Cassegrain Optics > Learning Center >
Cassegrain Telescopes
Both long-time telescope users and beginners have long been enjoying the view afforded by Cassegrain telescopes. Their engineering and design alone make them impressive enough to simply look at them instead of through them! Using the famous Newtonian design as the foundation of its layout and fundamental optics, the Cassegrain units differ in that they actually fold light in order to deliver the image.
And you can count on it being a crisp and clear image at that. You see, this model of telescope calls on light’s ability to be reflected, bouncing it back and forth to produce a longer focal distance accompanied by higher magnification powers; one mirror is positioned at the rear or back of the scope and one positioned at the front. The rear mirror is the one responsible for initiating the light gathering. It then sends that light at a glass correcting plate located on the opposite side of the front mirror. It is this secondary mirror that reflects that light back through a small incision in the first mirror. This incision or small hole is the viewing part of the telescope.
Because of this amazing manipulation of light through reflection, Cassegrain telescopes are actually much more efficient than some of the other scopes out there because they don’t require as long of a tube to achieve a view. This means that less is required to manufacture these items, which in turn means that they are almost always much lighter, making them excellent for taking on the road with you.
Related Information
Celestron Telescopes
Celestron telescopes are available in both stationary and travel models.
Meade Telescopes
Meade telescopes rely on cutting-edge technology to manufacture fantastic products.
