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JonnyW
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If a telescope is 2 time bigger in diameter then you can see object 4 times fainter, but does that mean that object appear 4 times brighter?
Well, I am not one of the "smart guys", but I have been using and making telescopes for many years and can add just a bit to the original question on "telescopes".Originally posted by StephenPrivitera
I think you can do a rough calculation of limiting magnitude using the fact that your eye has a 1cm aperture and can see to the 6th mag.
[tex]m_{lim} - m_{eye}= -2.5log \frac {f_{tel}} {f_{eye}} = -2.5log \frac {A_{eye}} {A_{tel}}[/tex]
[tex]=-2.5logR^2_{eye}/R^2_{tel}[/tex]
Use 6 for m_eye and 1cm for R_eye
Yes, I believe the object appears four times brighter. That is, the object actually is four times brighter. But your eye responds to light logarithmically so it will seem about log4 times as "bright". It depends on how you define "bright".
I think that's how it works. One of the smart guys will correct me if it's not.
I'm not sure it is. If one brings in 4x as much light, things should appear 4x brighter. That does only correspond to a magnitude difference of 1.6 though(if I'm using the scale correctly).Originally posted by Artman
Not exactly. The one number is a magnitude measurement.
That's a huge fact.Originally posted by russ_watters
This is also complicated by the fact that our vision doesn't have linear brightness sensitivity.
The larger the diameter of a telescope, the more light it can gather. This means that larger telescopes can make objects appear brighter because they are able to collect more light from the object.
Yes, there is a limit to how large a telescope can be to make objects appear brighter. This limit is determined by the atmosphere and the quality of the telescope's optics. If the telescope is too large, atmospheric disturbances and imperfections in the optics can actually make the image appear blurrier and dimmer.
The aperture, or the diameter of the telescope's primary lens or mirror, is directly related to the amount of light the telescope can gather. A larger aperture means more light can enter the telescope, resulting in a brighter image.
Yes, a small telescope with a larger aperture can make objects appear brighter than a larger telescope with a smaller aperture. This is because the aperture is the primary factor in determining the brightness of objects, rather than the overall size of the telescope.
Yes, there are other factors that can affect the brightness of objects viewed through a telescope. The quality and cleanliness of the optics, the atmospheric conditions, and the magnification used can all impact the perceived brightness of an object. Additionally, the object itself may have different levels of brightness, so not all objects will appear equally bright even when viewed with the same telescope.