Design and Construction of a Refracting Telescope

Most people see the telescope as the things for the movies, the science geeks and the rich and affluent, but are these feelings for real? This paper on the design and construction of an optical refracting telescope which is aimed at producing a low cost and portable telescope with less or no aberration effects using the materials we see around us every day goes a long way to answer the question that the telescope is for everybody that loves astronomy. Overall implementation of this work involves knowledge of the physics of optics; lenses to be precise. As a case study I used a double convex lens and the eyepiece of a microscope for the construction of the mini refractor telescope, my hypothesis is that using a double convex is better than using a Plano-convex because the two curved surfaces will cancel out the aberration effect of the individual sides. The resultant telescope was tested during the night and during the day and was used to focus objects at a distance of about 50m from the person with less aberration effect.