All Done with Mirrors

The unusual Mersenne optics can link the lens telescope to a far larger mirror telescope. This linkage boosts the power of the refractor to match the aperture of the large reflector! Sounds far-fetched, but it's true and it works. Against the backdrop of crafting his first telescope mirror, Roy Kaelin describes this exceptional two-mirror design, dormant for decades until others revived it, whose optics the amateur telescope maker can craft himself. The Mersenne design lets the serious amateur enhance an existing telescope and make it easily accessible to small children and the wheelchair-bound. It's a superb way for all to gain an unmatched view of the night sky magnified, while comfortably seated!