How to calculate and alter a telescope's magnification

A quick guide to magnification and how to alter it by changing your eyepiece.

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Published: June 7, 2023 at 7:29 am

The magnification of a telescope is worked out by dividing the focal length of the telescope by the focal length of the eyepiece in use.

So, for example, a telescope with a focal length of 750mm used with an eyepiece of 15mm focal length will have a magnification of 50x.

You cannot alter the focal length of a telescope, but you can alter the magnification by changing the eyepiece to one with a longer or shorter focal length.

With the same telescope, an eyepiece with a focal length of 10mm would yield a magnification of 75x, while an eyepiece with a focal length of 25mm would give 30x.

For more info, read out guide to telescope stats.

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