Ritchey-Chrétien (RC) Telescope collimation
The tasks:
- Optically align 2 hyperbolic mirrors and a focuser
- Set correct mirror distance
The problems:
- Adjusting one of the mirrors or the focuser affects the alignment of the others
- Mechanical axis is rarely also the optical axis
- Most tools wrongly assume that the optical axis is the same as the mechanical axis
- Mirror distance is critically important
- Some models have (had?) a focuser attached to the primary mirror assembly without collimation capabilities.
- Central rings in the mirrors are not always at the optical center
- Most models have no adjustment options to recenter the mirrors.
Collimation using stars at night
Collimation during daylight
Further reading
Last page update :
2023-08-10T21:25Z
-- Hans Lambermont