A QUICK QUESTION...

HI KEVIN HERE..

QUESTION........ Which is better ....: 10in reflector, 10in refractor of 10in smith cassegrain (assuming all similar quality and using same eyepieces etc)?? :

And is there much difference in magnifications of same?

JUS THIKIN OUT LOUD.
LATER FOLKS.

Horses for courses... and price per inch of aperture.

A 10" reflector will be your cheapest option. A 10" refractor will be frighteningly unaffordable! and a 10" Schmidt-Cassegrain will be the most compact.

Magnification depends on the focal length of the telescope, not the aperture. Magnification = focal length of the objective (main mirror or lens) divided by the focal length of the eyepiece.

A refractor will give you nice sharp stars but may exhibit chromatic aberation. A Schmidt-Cass has a relatively large central obstruction and so degrades contrast a little. A reflector can have a much smaller central obstruction and usually performs just as well as a refractor... but without any chromatic aberation or the scary price tag... but adds diffraction spikes to your photos...

The bottom line is that every optical system / design has its pros and cons. You have to weigh up how much you want to spend and what you are going to use the scope for (visual / photography / narrow-field, planetary or deep-sky work... the list is endless!)

Clear as mud?

Phil.

Even if money is not a problem, a 10" refractor will be frighteningly STATIC!
You will need at least 4 strong men to carry it around, tube & mount (or 2 horses maybe). Then you will need a ladder to climb up and observe, and finally a dome to shelter it.

BTW, nice shot of M27, Kevin!
Here 's how a face would look after shooting M27 with 10" apperture (same or close focal ratio):
a. SCT
b. Reflector
c: Refractor :lol:

The question is pointless.

You can't buy a 10" refractor commercially.

You will have to grind the glass yourself.

Peter.

APM Germany sell a 10" refractor (apo). A mere snip at 44,990euro. Tube weighs 45kg.

its funny, in "the sky at night" magazine, they advise what size instrument to view various objects with, and they say a small scope is a reflector/sct <150mm or a Refractor <100mm. this would lead me ( and did in the past) that a 100mm refractor is the equivalent to a 150mm reflector/SCT. is there any truth in what they are saying?