Televue
Encyclopedia
Tele Vue Optics is a Chester
, New York
-based astronomical
optics
company
known primarily for its premium brand of speciality eyepiece
s and apochromatic refractor telescopes. Founded in 1977 by Al Nagler, an optical engineer from The Bronx
who designed simulators used in the Apollo
program, the company originally made projection lenses for large projection-screen television
s, but is well known in the astronomy community for its products.
Prior to October 1, 2006, Tele Vue's corporate headquarters has also served as the primary distribution point for Vixen America
, a subsidiary of the Japan-based Vixen corporation, with the two companies building equipment that are compatible with each other, especially the Tele Vue refractor with Vixen's "sphinx" "go-to" mount
. Although the company is no longer the principal distributor, Vixen America still maintains its address at Tele Vue's New York location.
Today, Tele Vue's apochromatic refractor telescopes, which have reduced chromatic aberration
, come in diameters ranging from 60mm (2.4 inches) to 127mm (5 inches). The imaging system ("is" series) telescopes are designed primarily for astrophotography
.
eyepieces. They made their start with a variety of Plossl eyepieces for amateur astronomers. The introduction of the original Nagler 13mm Type 1 in 1982 with its wide field of view and an equally high price soon made their mark. Using different combinations of lenses
of different types of high index optical glasses, the eyepieces produce, respectively, a 50°, 60°,68°, 72°, 82°, 100° and 50° apparent field-of-view. Tele Vue calls the 82° and 100° apparent field-of-view a "spacewalk" experience. Wider apparent fields of view are helpful in viewing star clusters, galaxies and nebulae, especially large emission nebulae like the Orion Nebula
, but the real reason for wide fields of view is to allow the same true field of view as is found in a lower power, narrower FOV eyepiece. This increases effective contrast and aids in visibility of certain details. Additionally, Tele Vue eyepieces are well corrected for most aberrations, providing edge to edge pinpoint stars, and are well suited to use in popular "fast" telescopes. The most expensive Tele Vue eyepiece is the Ethos line, which consists of seven eyepieces known for excellent image quality and ultra-wide 100 degree fields, which can retail for from $500 to $800 or more. At the North East Astronomy Forum 2010, they revealed the Ethos SX, a 3.7mm focal length eyepiece
with an even greater 110° apparent field-of-view. In 2011, a new line of eyepieces was introduced called the Delos. These eyepieces are based on the Ethos but have a smaller field of view of 72°. Instead, they boast a comfortable 20mm eye relief. Some Tele Vue eyepieces are over half a foot long and weigh over two pounds.
filters
, barlow lenses, special image amplifiers known as Powermates, the "Paracorr" coma-corrector for "fast" (f/5 and below) Newtonian telescope
s, and the "Dioptrx," a special lens that fits over most Tele Vue eyepieces to correct eyesight astigmatism
.
Chester (town), New York
Chester is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 12,140 at the 2000 census. The town is named after another city in Great Britain...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based astronomical
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
company
Corporation
A corporation is created under the laws of a state as a separate legal entity that has privileges and liabilities that are distinct from those of its members. There are many different forms of corporations, most of which are used to conduct business. Early corporations were established by charter...
known primarily for its premium brand of speciality eyepiece
Eyepiece
An eyepiece, or ocular lens, is a type of lens that is attached to a variety of optical devices such as telescopes and microscopes. It is so named because it is usually the lens that is closest to the eye when someone looks through the device. The objective lens or mirror collects light and brings...
s and apochromatic refractor telescopes. Founded in 1977 by Al Nagler, an optical engineer from The Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
who designed simulators used in the Apollo
Project Apollo
The Apollo program was the spaceflight effort carried out by the United States' National Aeronautics and Space Administration , that landed the first humans on Earth's Moon. Conceived during the Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Apollo began in earnest after President John F...
program, the company originally made projection lenses for large projection-screen television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
s, but is well known in the astronomy community for its products.
Prior to October 1, 2006, Tele Vue's corporate headquarters has also served as the primary distribution point for Vixen America
Vixen (telescopes)
Vixen is a Japanese company that makes telescopes, binoculars, spotting scopes and accessories for their products.Among many other more mainstream products they have created two unusual varieties of catadioptric telescopes with an open tube design instead of the full-aperture corrector plate of the...
, a subsidiary of the Japan-based Vixen corporation, with the two companies building equipment that are compatible with each other, especially the Tele Vue refractor with Vixen's "sphinx" "go-to" mount
GoTo (telescopes)
In amateur astronomy, "GoTo" refers to a type of telescope mount and related software which can automatically point a telescope to astronomical objects that the user selects...
. Although the company is no longer the principal distributor, Vixen America still maintains its address at Tele Vue's New York location.
Refractor telescopes
Tele Vue once manufactured a 5" refracting telescope named the MPT, the Multi-Purpose Telescope. It had a fast f/4 ratio, and had an adjustable diaphragm that ranged from f/4 to f/20. Only a small number were made, with the last being kept by Televue to use as a final optical quality control for all eyepieces they make. Recent examples of this telescope have sold for well into 5 figures.Today, Tele Vue's apochromatic refractor telescopes, which have reduced chromatic aberration
Chromatic aberration
In optics, chromatic aberration is a type of distortion in which there is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same convergence point. It occurs because lenses have a different refractive index for different wavelengths of light...
, come in diameters ranging from 60mm (2.4 inches) to 127mm (5 inches). The imaging system ("is" series) telescopes are designed primarily for astrophotography
Astrophotography
Astrophotography is a specialized type of photography that entails recording images of astronomical objects and large areas of the night sky. The first photographs of an astronomical object were taken in the 1840s, but it was not until the late 19th century that advances in technology allowed for...
.
Eyepieces
Tele Vue sells Plossl, Radian, Panoptic, Delos, Nagler, Ethos and Nagler ZoomZoom lens
A zoom lens is a mechanical assembly of lens elements for which the focal length can be varied, as opposed to a fixed focal length lens...
eyepieces. They made their start with a variety of Plossl eyepieces for amateur astronomers. The introduction of the original Nagler 13mm Type 1 in 1982 with its wide field of view and an equally high price soon made their mark. Using different combinations of lenses
Lens (optics)
A lens is an optical device with perfect or approximate axial symmetry which transmits and refracts light, converging or diverging the beam. A simple lens consists of a single optical element...
of different types of high index optical glasses, the eyepieces produce, respectively, a 50°, 60°,68°, 72°, 82°, 100° and 50° apparent field-of-view. Tele Vue calls the 82° and 100° apparent field-of-view a "spacewalk" experience. Wider apparent fields of view are helpful in viewing star clusters, galaxies and nebulae, especially large emission nebulae like the Orion Nebula
Orion Nebula
The Orion Nebula is a diffuse nebula situated south of Orion's Belt. It is one of the brightest nebulae, and is visible to the naked eye in the night sky. M42 is located at a distance of and is the closest region of massive star formation to Earth. The M42 nebula is estimated to be 24 light...
, but the real reason for wide fields of view is to allow the same true field of view as is found in a lower power, narrower FOV eyepiece. This increases effective contrast and aids in visibility of certain details. Additionally, Tele Vue eyepieces are well corrected for most aberrations, providing edge to edge pinpoint stars, and are well suited to use in popular "fast" telescopes. The most expensive Tele Vue eyepiece is the Ethos line, which consists of seven eyepieces known for excellent image quality and ultra-wide 100 degree fields, which can retail for from $500 to $800 or more. At the North East Astronomy Forum 2010, they revealed the Ethos SX, a 3.7mm focal length eyepiece
Eyepiece
An eyepiece, or ocular lens, is a type of lens that is attached to a variety of optical devices such as telescopes and microscopes. It is so named because it is usually the lens that is closest to the eye when someone looks through the device. The objective lens or mirror collects light and brings...
with an even greater 110° apparent field-of-view. In 2011, a new line of eyepieces was introduced called the Delos. These eyepieces are based on the Ethos but have a smaller field of view of 72°. Instead, they boast a comfortable 20mm eye relief. Some Tele Vue eyepieces are over half a foot long and weigh over two pounds.
Accessories
Tele Vue also manufactures special nebulaNebula
A nebula is an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and other ionized gases...
filters
Filter (optics)
Optical filters are devices which selectively transmit light of different wavelengths, usually implemented as plane glass or plastic devices in the optical path which are either dyed in the mass or have interference coatings....
, barlow lenses, special image amplifiers known as Powermates, the "Paracorr" coma-corrector for "fast" (f/5 and below) Newtonian telescope
Newtonian telescope
The Newtonian telescope is a type of reflecting telescope invented by the British scientist Sir Isaac Newton , using a concave primary mirror and a flat diagonal secondary mirror. Newton’s first reflecting telescope was completed in 1668 and is the earliest known functional reflecting telescope...
s, and the "Dioptrx," a special lens that fits over most Tele Vue eyepieces to correct eyesight astigmatism
Astigmatism
An optical system with astigmatism is one where rays that propagate in two perpendicular planes have different foci. If an optical system with astigmatism is used to form an image of a cross, the vertical and horizontal lines will be in sharp focus at two different distances...
.