Hey, you ATMs and Optics Gurus,
would folding the light path of a Newtonian work?
While doing this may not have that much impact on the weight of the optical tube assembly, it would put the focus of a Really Really Big Instrument at a much more convenient height, thus saving us from having to perch precariously on a ladder!
There have been various attempts to do this:
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/4...of-telescopes/
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/112172-folded-newt/
http://www.jimsmobile.com/buy_ntt40.htm
https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/3...ded-newtonian/
https://www.johanneswilm.org/mike/telescope/
While a lot of attempts to fold the light path of a telescope (including by the Cassegrain-type route) do result in an unacceptably large central obstruction (at least for the optics purists) , I put it to you that what we are looking for in the biggest apertures is essentially a Supergiant(!) Light Bucket for deep sky viewing......
where - in very practical terms (for the Actual Observer) - the central obstruction interferes much less with contrast and resolution than it does during planetary viewing.
But can anyone think of a better way to accomplish the folding of the light path than these designs?
cheers, madbadgalaxyman