The Newton Reflecting Telescope

A Cardboard Kit for a Fully Functional Newtonian Reflecting Telescope!

The telescope is equipped with a Dobsonian mounting that makes pointing at celestial objects easy. The main BAADER glass mirror with SiO₂ coating has a diameter of 70 mm and a focal length of 450 mm. Two eyepieces provide magnification factors of 16x and 30x, enough for the observation of Moon Craters and even the Moons of Jupiter.

The telescope can be equipped with a dedicated Solar Filter to upgrade it for observations of the Sun

You can also mount the telescope on a standard photographic tripod with our Flat Tripod Adapter.

A Small Change with a Big Effect

In 1668 Isaac Newton (1643 - 1727) solved several problems of refracting telescopes when he invented the reflecting telescope. His great idea was to replace the convex objective lens with a hollow mirror. Light hitting the mirror is gathered, reflected onto a small angled flat mirror, and then directed sideways into the eyepiece. Newtons first mirrors, ground and polished by himself, had diameters of 25 and 50mm and a focal length of 300mm. With this, he achieved a magnification of about 30x.

Replicating Newton's Achievement

The power of the AstroMedia Reflecting Telescope is very similar to Newton's first instruments. Heart of the telescope is the main mirror, a spherical precision mirror made from ground and polished glass. It has a diameter of 70mm and a focal length of 450mm, and was specially calculated and produced for this kit. The eyepieces are fitted with acrylic glass lenses. With the help of Wolfgang Busch, Ahrensburg, we found lens arrangements that avoid colour aberrations and distortions as much as possible. The eyepieces achieve magnifications of 16x an 30x, which is sufficient to observe the craters on the Moon and, after proper adjustment of the main mirror, even the moons of Jupiter. The optional Solar Filter allows the observation of sunspots and planetary transits.

Follow in Newton's Footsteps

Of course a cardboard telescope can't be compared to much more expensive industrially manufactured instruments. Nevertheless, this kit gives you the opportunity to follow Newton in putting together your own telescope and in the end you will be as surprised by the result as Newton was when he built his.