List of telescope types

Astronomical telescopes are divided into subgroups. All telescopes work by collecting electromagnetic radiation and focussing it into an image which may be seen or photographed. The purpose is to see things which are far away in the universe.

The traditional types all work to collect visible light from the sky. Recent types may work outside the visible spectrum. They all have their different advantages and disadvantages and they are used in different areas of astronomy.

 Optical 
 Refractors 
Dioptrics.
Telescopes which create their image with an objective that is a convex lens (refractors) are said to be "dioptric" telescopes.
 Achromatic: uses convex and concave lenses together, to correct for chromatic aberration.
 Apochromatic: a more complex arrangement, for even less chromatic aberration.
 Non-achromatic
 Binoculars

 Reflectors 
Catoptrics.
Optical systems using mirrors: uses reflected light to form the image.
 Newtonian
 Gregorian
 Cassegrain
 Herschelian telescope

 Combined Lens-Mirror Systems 
Catadioptric telescopes use corrector lenses to fix problems in a reflector.
 Schmidt telescope
 Maksutov telescope

 Outside the optical spectrum 

 Čerenkov radiation telescope used to detect gamma rays
 Infrared telescope
 Radio telescope
 Submillimeter telescope
 Ultraviolet light telescope (for Ultraviolet astronomy)
 X-ray telescope (for X-ray astronomy)
Wolter telescope

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Category:Astronomy lists