coming soon i swear!! !!!!! !!!!!!!! # Collimating a Telescope Optics can go askew, and when that happens you're going to have to realign them. Though realigning - or "collimating", your blurry telescope will be fixed in no time! To start off, let's look at the proper definition of "collimating". # Parts of a Telescope - Basics ## The Lens - a lens is a large mirror that allows us to focus light --> gives us a larger radius to collect light rather than a single point - this **straightens out** the light and magnifies it --> a 200cm radius lens would have an area of 40,000! - atmosphere mitigates the light - light becomes fuzzy, stars then twinkle as the light rays bend (humid climate exacerbates this) $\frac{S}{N} \propto \sqrt{ t }$ this gives us the exposure times, $t$, where $S$ is the signal noise, the luminosity times the quantum efficiency times the cross-sectional area of the object / system, and $N$ is the intrinsic noise, the speed of photographic oxidation or electron physics. Yes, I somehow find a way to include maths into this. Don't ask why. Also, this equation doesn't work if you're on Earth, in part thanks to the atmosphere... would you trade the ability to breathe and regulated temperature for some better photos? ## For Reflectors - The Mirrors %%create SCT/maksutov Cas Telescope internal diagram%% # Tracking To get good astro-photos, it is best that *tracking*, where a telescope moves dynamically with a stellar object as it moves across the night sky. This helps offset the high exposure times taking photos at night often requires - great for increasing the quality of my photos and removing star trails! If you buy your telescopes at your local supplier, you might've noticed that some of the telescopes seem to come in 'sets' - with a large, blocky motor attached to the tripod. This is a tracking motor! Typically, there'd be an app you'll have to download and connect to your phone where a menu appears for you to select stellar objects, but there are other ways if the app isn't for you. Each mount is different. Fortunately, manufacturers have been getting a lot nicer recently, and many of them offer their own m ## Tracking Computers & Software