As with all optical instruments, Telescopes, Binoculars, Spotting Scopes, Microscopes etc. they all have Eyepieces.
It is the telescope eyepiece that does the magnifying.
There are many types of telescope eyepiece available some of which are listed below, most telescopes come with two or three Eyepieces included in the package.
Adding more can improve the observer’s views of different objects in the night sky. For example, the Konusmotor-130 Telescope, comes with high quality Plossl Eyepieces and a 2X Barlow Lens..
Does the Telescope Eyepiece really matter?
It can be argued that an ordinary magnifying glass may be used as an Eyepiece for a telescope, should you not be too discerning of the image quality.
However, if you require proper rendering with a flat field (i.e., all parts of the field of view brought to a focus at the same plane) and good images, then you will need something better. Let’s take a look at some great Eyepiece options;
Plössls:
Good quality, these have a wide field of view making them versatile giving good views of all Planets and many Deep Space objects.
The slight disadvantage is the short eye relief so not as good on lower focal lengths below 12mm.
Radian:
Like the Plossl but has a much better eye relief even using an Eyepiece with a focal length of 3mm will still allow users improved viewing experience even wearing glasses.
Nagler’s:
This Eyepiece has a huge field of view, most Eyepieces have a field of view around 50° but the Nagler’s ultra-wide lens is a remarkable 82° field of view. This is ideal for Deep Space observations.
Barlow:
Technically not an Eyepiece, it has components which when used with an Eyepiece will amplify the magnification.
The Barlow lens fits into the Telescope Eyepiece Barrel, then an Eyepiece is fitted into the Barlow Lens. A very useful lens which increases the range of different magnifications in your Eyepiece Kit.
We recommend building a good range of quality Eyepieces to enhance the performance of your telescope.
It’s also worth remembering, a low-quality grade Telescope can be significantly improved if used with a good quality Eyepiece.
How to Use a Telescope | Part 2 | Telescope Eyepiece
Now you are all set to move on to Part 3 of the UK Telescopes guide on how to use a telescope!
If you are still uncertain as to whether you should choose a telescope or spotting scope, please don’t hesitate to contact on of our experts via our handy Chat Tool in the bottom right corner of the page.
