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How To Make A Telescope: 2nd Edition

by Jean Texereau, 9.38" by 6.00", 440 pages, hardbound, published 1984, 2 Lbs. 8 Ozs. ship wt., $24.95.

The first edition of this book was universally acclaimed as the best book ever written for making a Newtonian telescope. This 2nd Edition is almost three times larger and adds to the original text new chapters on making a Cassegrainian telescope, optical windows, and equatorial mounts. Chapters on eyepieces and astronomical seeing have been expanded. Computer programs written in generic BASIC for reduction of Foucault test data. Included are indexes for the three principle magazines that carry telescope making information: Sky and Telescope's "Gleanings for ATM's" from November 1941 through June 1998, Scientific American magazine from 1925 through 1959 and the complete run of  Telescope Making magazine.  This book is the most complete single work available on making reflecting telescopes.

Here is how two leading astronomy magazines reviewed the 2nd Edition:

". . . Borrowed from my high school library more than 20 years ago, the earlier book (the First Edition) was my introduction to an avocation that has occupied many evenings and weekends since. That fondly remembered volume forms the core of this new one, with many additions to complement and expand the older text. Reading the text in preparation for this review was like rediscovering an old friend. Key to the book's quality is Texereau's writing style, his workshop hints, diagrams and where appropriate, expansions into theory. The accent is upon the practical --- details of just what it takes to fabricate an optical telescope . . ."

"In the sections devoted to optics both novice and experienced "glass-pushers" will receive guidance that is as clear and in-depth as any that can be found in print . . ."

"From the earlier edition he has retained complete instructions on the fabrication of a Newtonian telescope, including optics and mounting, and provides a well-written rationale for its choice as the novice's first telescope. For the new edition he has added detailed plans for the construction of a Cassegrain telescope, including both the primary and secondary optics. He even devotes a section—definitely not novice stuff — to fabrication of an optical window . . ."

"I heartily recommend this new edition of How to Make a Telescope, both to the recently interested telescope maker and the seasoned "telescope nut." Novices will find the spicy, well-illustrated and detailed book that inspired me many years ago, while even old hands should find some new wrinkles within its greatly enlarged text..
                                      --Sky & Telescope magazine

Browsing through a library one day, my hands fell on a remarkable book. It was the thin first edition of Jean Texereau's How to Make a Telescope . . . here was Texereau describing in simple terms how to complete an instrument from start to finish and doing so without "talking down" to the reader . . . You can imagine my growing concern as this book became increasingly hard to find . . . I once offered someone $10 for a scruffy paperback copy, but he refused the money! Finally in 1984, Willmann-Bell announced the second edition of this TM classic . . . What is the result? The translation flows effortlessly . . . the book has that same feeling of total mastery as the original . . . The new edition is much thicker than the first and has become a manual for advanced workers, as well as a beginner's tutorial. The difference between Texereau's and other telescope-making books is the sophistication of his testing procedures. Other authors speak confidently of pitch and grits, and topics of interest in actually producing a mirror, but most fail to give the beginner a reliable method of testing and interpreting the test results. Not so with Texereau: he gives you the full story. With this book, you have every chance of building what Texereau calls "a telescope that is optically beyond reproach."
                                                                   —Astronomy magazine

. . a precise, detailed, concrete exposition and authoritative guide and reference on amateur telescope mirror making and for the hobbyist in amateur astronomy.
                          —New Technical Books, The New York Public Library

The best guide to making a Newtonian telescope.
               — Observer’s Handbook: The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.

. . . a precise, detailed, concrete exposition and authoritative guide and reference on amateur telescope mirror making and for the hobbyist in amateur astronomy.
                            —New Technical Books, The New York Public Library

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Foreword to the Second English Edition, Richard Berry
Foreword to the First English Edition, Albert G. Ingalls
Foreword to the 1951 French Edition, André Couder
Preface
1. Basic Properties and a Proposed Telescope
    1.1. "Geometrical Objects" and the Astronomical Telescope
    1.2. A Bit of Physical Optics
    1.3. Definition of a Perfect Objective
    1.4. The Rayleigh Criterion
    1.5. Principal Types of Telescopes
    1.6. Refractor vs. Reflector as the Amateurs Telescope
    1.7. Practical Conclusion: The "Standard" Telescope
2. Making the Main Mirror
    2.1. Form of the Main Mirror in the Newtonian Telescope
    2.2. Working of Optical Surfaces and Theories Concerning Polishing
    2.3. The Mirror Blank and Tool
    2.4. Abrasives
    2.5. Polishing Materials
    2.6. Summary of Grinding and Polishing Needs
    2.7. Work Support and Accessories
    2.8. Preparing the Mirror Disk
    2.9. Rough Grinding
    2.10. Testing Radius of Curvature
    2.11. Finishing Rough Grinding
    2.12. Fine Grinding and Smoothing
    2.13. Characteristics of the Smoothed Optical Surface
    2.14. Pitfalls in the Smoothing Operation
    2.15. The Polishing Lap
    2.16. Making the Lap
    2.17. Polishing Conditions and Requirements
    2.18. The Polishing Operation
    2.19. Completion of Polishing
    2.20. Surface, Wavefront, and Image Errors
    2.21. Review of Possible Test Methods
    2.22. Nature of the Foucault Test
    2.23. Foucault Test Apparatus
    2.24. Making the Foucault Test
    2.25. Diffraction Effects in the Foucault Test
    2.26. Sensitivity of the Foucault Test
    2.27. Principle of Parabolic Mirror Testing
    2.28. Definitions Relating to Spherical Aberration
    2.29. Effects of Spherical Aberration
    2.30. Measurement of Spherical Aberration
    2.31. The Couder Screen
    2.32. Screen Test Procedure; Errors
    2.33. Defects Other Than Figures of Revolution
    2.34. Primary and Micro-Ripple
    2.35. Zonal Defects
    2.36. Local Retouching
    2.37. Parabolizing
    2.38. Retouching the Defective Parabola
    2.39. Reducing Aberrations to the Focal Plane
    2.40. Test Data Sheet
    2.41. Interpreting the Test Data
3. The Plane Diagonal Mirror
    3.1. Mirror vs. Prism-Comparative Requirements
    3.2. Form and Dimensions of the Diagonal Mirror
    3.3. Interference Test for Flat Mirrors
    3.4. Making the Interference Test
    3.5. Testing by Combination with a Spherical Mirror
    3.6. The Diagonal Mirror Blank
    3.7. Resurfacing a Flat Mirror
    3.8. Cutting the Mirror
4. Mechanical Structure
    4.1. Choice of a Standard Design
    4.2. Important Details
5. The Altazimuth Mounting
    5.1. Principles of Design
    5.2. Details of Importance or Interest
6. Making a Cassegrainian Telescope
    6.1. The Classic Cassegrainian: Configuration and Notation
    6.2. Advantages and Disadvantages of the Classic Cassegrainian
    6.3. The Coudé or Nasmith Modifications
    6.4. Selection of Design Constants
    6.5. Calculating Related Design Constants
    6.6. Deformation Coefficients and Off-Axis Aberrations
    6.7. Judging the Difficulty of Figuring
    6.8. Design Examples for Two Cassegrainian Telescopes
7. Making the Primary Cassegrainian Mirror
    7.1. Rough Check for Strain
    7.2. Cutting the Hole
    7.3. Finishing the Perforated Mirror
    7.4. The Apertured Couder Screen
    7.5. Parabolizing Mirrors of Large Relative Aperture
8. Making the Secondary Cassegrainian Mirror
    8.1. Testing Combined Mirrors on a Star
    8.2. Testing the Combined Mirror with a Plane Mirror
    8.3. Method of Hindle
    8.4. Testing the Secondary Against a Concave Reference
    8.5. General Purpose for Small Mirrors
    8.6. Edging
    8.7. Rough Grinding
    8.8. Spherometry
    8.9. Smoothing
    8.10. Polishing and Retouching
9. Mechanical Design of the Cassegrainian
    9.1. Adaptation of the Standards Telescope Tube
    9.2. Cylindrical Tubes 180
    9.3. Construction of a 257 MM Cassegrainian
10. The Telescope Window
    10.1. Advantages of a Telescope Window
    10.2. Choice of a Glass
    10.3. Cutting the Central Hole and Edging
    10.4. Smoothing Tolerances and Parallelism
    10.5. Rough Grinding, Fine Grinding and Smoothing
    10.6. Optical Testing of the Window
    10.7. Polishing and Retouching
    10.8. Quantitative Testing and Data Reduction
11. The Eyepiece
    11.1. Role of the Eyepiece and its Selection
    11.2. Principal Types of Eyepieces
    11.3. The Barlow Lens
    11.4. Standard Series of Plössl Eyepieces
12. The Equatorial Mounting
    12.1. General Discussion
    12.2. Principle Types of Equatorial Mountings
    12.3. Designs to be Avoided
    12.4. Practical Advice for Construction of a Cradle Mounting
    12.5. Practical Advice on Offset Cradle Mountings
    12.6. Practical Advice on Simple English Mountings
    12.7. Practical Advice on German Mountings
    12.8. Practical Advice on Fork Mountings
    12.9. Practical Advice on Mountings with a Table Atop the Polar Axis or Inverted Fork
    12.10. Generalizations Concerning Clock Drives
    12.11. Drive Using a Screw and Smooth Sector
    12.12. Classic Drive Using a Worm and Wheel Combination
13. Accessories, Mirror Coating, Paint and Metal Part Finishing
    13.1. Finders
    13.2. Photographic Plate Holder and Lateral Eyepiece
    13.3. Paints and Metal Part Treatment
    13.4. Reflective Mirror Coatings
    13.5. Chemical Silvering
    13.6. Aluminizing
    13.7. Shipping of the Mirror for Aluminizing
    13.8. Care of Aluminized Mirror
14. Adjustments of Mirrors and Mountings
    14.1. Aligning the Mirrors
    14.2. Aligning the Cassegrainian
    14.3. Balancing the Equatorial
    14.4. Siting of the Equatorial Telescope
15. Atmospheric Turbulence
    15.1. Difficulties in the Use of a Medium Power Telescope
    15.2. Atmospheric Defects
    15.3. Star Image Changes in the Small Instrument
    15.4. Star Image Changes in a Large Instrument
    15.5. Image Changes Due to Photographic Diffusion
    15.6. First Stage of Turbulence: The Instrument
    15.7. Second Stage: Local Turbulence
    15.8. Third Stage: High Altitude Turbulence
    15.9. Conclusion
Appendix A List of Suppliers
Appendix B Data Reduction Computer Programs in BASIC for Mirrors and Windows
Appendix C More Detail on Texereau’s Test Data Sheet
Appendix D Gleanings for ATM’s, Telecope Making and Telescope Techniques  from Sky and Telescope Magazine, November 1941–October 1998
Appendix E Bibliography of Telescope Making Magazine, Numbers 1 through 46
Appendix F Bibliography of Amateur Telescope Making Journal, Issues 1–11
Appendix G Index to Selected Telescope Making Articles in Scientific American, 1925–1959
Appendix H Exact Formulae for Calculating Size and Offset for Newtonian Diagonal Mirrors
Appendix I The Dobsonian and Poncet Mount Adapted to the Texereau Standard Telescope
Appendix J Pitch Testing
Appendix K Unusual Amateur Telescopes
Appendix L A Short Biography of the Professional Work of
Jean Texereau
Bibliography
Index

Copyright ©1998 Willmann-Bell, Inc. All rights reserved.