Telescopes make distant objects appear closer, using a combination of lenses and mirrors. If you don't have a telescope or binoculars at home, you can make one yourself! Remember that images may appear reversed.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Build a Telescope with Magnifying Glasses
Step 1. Gather your materials
You will need moon corrugated paper about 60 cm (it is a stiff material, which is easily found in paper or craft stores). You will need lenses of the same size. You will also need strong glue, scissors and a pencil.
If the lenses are not the same size, the telescope will not work
Step 2. Wrap the paper around one of the magnifying glasses
Mark the diameter of the paper with a pencil. Make sure it is wrapped tightly.
Step 3. Measure along the edge of the paper from the first mark
You will need to measure approximately 4cm from the mark. This will create an extra length to place the glue around the lens.
Step 4. Cut along the line drawn on the paper
You should cut widthwise (do not cut lengthwise). The sheet should be about 60cm long on one side.
You should now have two lengths of corrugated paper. One piece should be slightly wider than the other
Step 5. Glue the first length of the paper around one of the magnifying glasses
You will need to apply some glue to glue the edges of the paper together, as you have about 4 cm of paper left.
Step 6. Make the tube for the second magnifying glass
This will need to be slightly larger than the previous one. Not too much, just enough for the former to fit into it.
Step 7. Insert the first tube into the second
Now you can use the telescope to look at distant things. This type of telescope is very good for looking at the moon.
The images will be shot in reverse, as astronomers don't care about the high or low in space (there is no high or low in space, after all)
Method 2 of 2: Build a Telescope with Lenses
Step 1. Gather the materials
You will need two lenses, a shipping tube that has an inner and an outer tube (you can find this at the post office or post shop; it should be 5 cm in diameter and 1 meter in length), a jigsaw, a utility knife, strong glue and a drill.
- The lenses should have a different focal length. For the best possible result, take a concave-convex lens with a diameter of 49mm and a focal length of 1,350mm and a plane-concave lens with a diameter of 49mm and a focal length of 152mm.
- It is very likely that by ordering lenses on the Internet they are not too expensive. You can get a pair of lenses for around € 16.
- The jigsaw is the most effective for making straight, clean lines, but you can also use another type of jigsaw or object to cut if you want.
Step 2. Cut the outermost tube in half
You will need both sections, but the inner tube will act to space them apart. The lenses will go into one of the sections of the outer tube.
Step 3. Cut 2 pieces from the innermost tube
These will be your spacers and will need to be approximately 2.5 to 4cm in diameter. Make sure you cut straight and clean with the hacksaw.
The spacers will hold the second lens in place at the bottom of the outer section of the shipping tube
Step 4. Make an eye hole in the bottom of the tube
Use a drill to apply light pressure halfway down the bottom to make a hole for one eye. Also in this case it will have to be as smooth and precise as possible to have the best visual results.
Step 5. Drill holes in the larger outer tube
You will need to drill holes where the lenses will be placed in the outer tube, as the holes allow you to place glue on the inside of the tube. The best point is near the bottom of the innermost tube, about 2 cm.
You will also need to drill holes in the bottom of the outer tube for the eyepiece and lid
Step 6. Glue the eyepiece lens to the removable cover
The ocular lens is the plano-concave one, where the flat side must be against the lid. You will need to insert some glue from the hole applied and turn the lens to smear it. Press the tube around the lens until the glue has dried.
Step 7. Cut the closed bottom of the outermost tube
You will end up gluing the inner tube to the inside of the outer one through this hole.
Step 8. Insert the first spacer inside the tube
The spacer will need to lie flat inside the outermost tube to hold the concave-convex lens in place. You will need to drill the holes and place the glue as you did for the eyepiece.
Step 9. Insert the lens and the second spacer
You will need to drill holes, insert the glue and spread it. Press until the glue has dried.
Step 10. Insert the inner tube into the outer tube
You can slide the parts as needed to get the right focus. Since this is about 9x you should be able to see the moon's surface very well and Saturn's rings as well. Everything else will be too far away for your telescope.
Advice
Make sure you have the correct lenses for the second telescope, as the wrong lenses will lead you to see nothing
Warnings
- Be careful not to drop the magnifying glasses.
- Do not look directly into the sun or any other light source using the telescope, it could DAMAGE your eyes.
