Keplerian telescope
Keplerian telescope, instrument for viewing distant objects, the basis for the modern refractive telescope, named after the great German astronomer Johannes Kepler. Its eyepiece, or ocular, is a convex (positive, or convergent) lens placed in back of the focus, the point at which the parallel light rays converge; and the instrument produces an inverted (βrealβ) image that can be projected or made visible. An additional convergent lens is provided between the objective and the eyepiece to right the image. The instrument needs to be rather long because of the intermediate inversion of the image, and the tube is often constructed to be collapsible.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.
Citation Information
Article Title:
Keplerian telescope
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
08 March 2019
Access Date:
November 14, 2026