Telescope Reviews: Severe case of Aperture Fever

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General Astronomy >> General Observing and Astronomy

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FirstSight
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Reged: 12/26/05

Loc: Raleigh, NC

Re: Severe case of Aperture Fever new

[Re: Dave Mitsky]
#5528326 - 11/19/12 04:18 PM

There's a paradox for even the most avid amateur astronomer:
- the larger the aperture, the brighter and deeper the objects you can see BUT:
- the objects at the edge of visibility won't be any brighter than the objects that were at the edge of visibility in aperture several inches smaller AND there will be at least as many objects that are beyond the range of the current larger aperture scope you have as were beyond the range of the several inches smaller aperture scope you had before.

Not only that, but in darker skies than you have, you could see just as bright and deep with your smaller aperture scope than you can in your less dark skies with your larger aperture scope.

MORAL(s): aperture rules, but the size of the kingdom it rules is limited by how dark the skies are it's used under; also, there's always a swarm of galaxies and clusters that are just over the boundaries of your averted vision, no matter what aperture you have or how dark your skies.

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