Re: Telescopes - Diffraction limit

[Roger Haar <haar@PHYSICS.ARIZONA.EDU>]

Gary,
        Without working through this carefully, my first
thought is that the angular separation is what is
involved in the deification limit.  The primary
mirror or lens has increased the angular
separation viewed by the eyepiece.

Thanks
Roger Haar U of AZ


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Gary Turner wrote:
> I was working with a student on diffraction limits and telescopes yesterday
> and thought of a problem I had never considered before.  Usually, the
> diameter of the 'scope is used in determining the 1.22(lambda)/D limit.
>
> But the light must also pass through the eyepiece lens, which is much
> smaller.  This should also have a limiting resolution; it seems that,
> depending on the location and size of the image, this limit could be more
> demanding than that for the 'scope body.
>
> Is this ever a problem, or is it designed away by telescope manufacturers?