Through the Lens: Utrecht

   

     After an inspiring visit to the University Museum and a pleasant canalside dinner, we headed to the Sonnenborgh Observatory in the city of Utrecht. Going into this interactive tour, I was very content with what I had seen, experienced, and learned so far, so I didn't expect to be blown away by this place- especially with my previous knowledge of telescopes and their functions. It turns out, I was completely wrong. The Observatory in general, as well as the in depth knowledge we received from our guides was of no comparison.
     What did we do? Nothing less than look through both a replica of a Galilean telescope and an original 19th century telescope (which was updated from manual to motor controls in a recent renovation). This telescope was used for important discoveries and we were lucky to have the ability to look through such a powerful instrument!
     Both replicas we looked through were of a refracting Galilean design, however they differed in terms of lens magnification. The first was formed with a convex lens close to the eye and a concave at the far end of the tube to give a roughly 13x optical magnification. The other was more powerful with a 21x magnification, and was built the same way at a different focal length.
     Similarly, we got to look through two stationary concave lenses without a tube (in replication of even a further innovation in telescope history). This image, although inverted, was the most clear and, once at the correct focal length, was of a higher quality picture.
     It was easy to see the difference between the designs by looking at neon signs on building rooftops.
     Overall, I very much enjoyed seeing beyond what could be seen with the naked eye from the observatory rooftop.