Newtonian Telescope

If you’re looking to get back to the classics with your next telescope then you are sure to get some great enjoyment from a Newtonian telescope. This type of telescope is a type of reflecting telescope (as opposed to a refracting type of telescope). And this may surprise you, but it was invented by the famous British scientist Sir Isaac Newton way back in 1668.

Newtonian models of telescopes use a concave mirror for the primary mirror and use a flat diagonal mirror for the secondary mirror. And one of the reasons that makes this one of the leading telescopes still to this day is the fact that its design is actually so simple that even amateur telescope fanatics can build their own. Part of the reason why they are rather simple to build is because they only have one surface that needs to be ground into a complex shape.

Not only does building your own Newtonian model provide great fun, building your own also helps you save a large amount of money from most store priced prebuilt Newtonian models. However, regardless of the given aperture, these Newtonian models are almost always the least expensive model of telescope—but they are still loads of fun to build!

Another reason why these models of telescopes have enjoyed such longtime favoritism is that they are free of chromatic aberration which is frequently found in refracting models of telescopes. In addition, these models make it easier to achieve a short focal ratio. This means you get to enjoy a wider field of view.

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