Diffraction Limited Optics
Many telescope makers boast their products have Diffraction
Limited Optics. What does that mean? To understand the
meaning requires only a little Physics. When a beam of light passes
through a circular opening (aperture), it spreads out a little. This
phenomenon is called diffraction. As the aperture or circular
opening gets wider the spreading diminishes,- thus wider openings
have less diffraction.
The image of a point source of light
(a star) after diffraction appears to be a central circular spot surrounded
by a series of dark and bright rings. This spot is called an Airy disk.
Where d = diameter in millimeters, l = the wavelength of light used
in meters, and N = the telescope's Focal Ratio:
d = 2440 l N