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Michael, resolution, as I said, is a direct function of aperture. An 8" scope
will resolve objects that are half the angular diameter of those resolvable
with a 4". Light gathering power is a square function, so that an 8" has 4 times the LGP of a 4", but resolution is simply directly related to aperture,
so an 8" has twice the resolving power of a 4". It doesn't matter how
good the 4" scope is, it cannot overcome the laws of physics. A good way
to demonstrate this is to look at the moon's craters. The 8" will resolve craters that are at best just tiny smudges, or even invisible in the 4".
It's all academic most of the time anyway, as atmospheric turbulence
usually limits resolution, rather than the scope's own limitations.
raymo
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