Telescopes and spectrographs

The course teaches the fundamentals of telescopes and spectrographs, including the optical elements, characteristics, and mountings of telescopes, as well as the principles and optical layout of spectrographs. The learning outcomes include understanding the milestones in astronomy, light dispersion, and the throughput of spectrographs. The course employs a structured approach with sections, summaries, and questions to reinforce learning. It is designed for individuals interested in astronomy, optics, or spectroscopy, with no prior knowledge required.

• Introduction
• Learning outcomes
• 1 Telescopes
• 1 Telescopes
• 1.1 A milestone in the advancement of astronomy
• 1.2 Optical elements
• 1.3 Refracting telescopes
• 1.4 Reflecting telescopes
• 1.5 The characteristics of astronomical telescopes
• 1.5.1 Light-gathering power
• 1.5.2 Field-of-view
• 1.5.3 Angular magnification
• 1.5.4 Image scale
• 1.5.5 Point spread function and angular resolution
• 1.6 Telescope mountings
• 1.7 Summary of Section 1 and questions
• 2 Spectographs
• 2 Spectographs
• 2.1 The heart of spectroscopy: dispersing light
• 2.1.1 Prisms and the refraction of light
• 2.1.2 Diffraction and interference of light
• 2.1.3 Reflective diffraction gratings
• 2.2 Optical layout of a spectrograph
• 2.3 Throughput of a spectrograph
• 2.4 Other spectrographs
• 2.5 Summary of Section 2 and questions
• Conclusion
• Acknowledgements