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magnification
magnification The apparent increase in angular size of an object when viewed through a telescope or binoculars, compared with the direct view of the same object. The magnification of a telescope is found by dividing the focal length of the objective lens or mirror by that of the eyepiece. The higher the magnification on a given telescope, the dimmer the image. There is a practical limit to the magnification of a telescope, which is approximately twice its aperture in millimetres. For example, a 100-mm objective has a practical magnification limit of 200, set by the effects of diffraction on the image. There is a lower practical limit, set by the size of the exit pupil. When this becomes larger than the pupil of the eye, light is wasted and the image does not appear any brighter as the magnification is reduced. A magnification of, say, 100 is often referred to as a power of 100, and written as ×100.
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"magnification." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "magnification." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-magnification.html "magnification." A Dictionary of Astronomy. 1997. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O80-magnification.html |
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magnification
mag·ni·fi·ca·tion / ˌmagnəfiˈkāshən/ • n. the action or process of magnifying something or being magnified, esp. visually: visible under high magnification. ∎ the degree to which something is or can be magnified: at this magnification the pixels making up the image become visible. ∎ the magnifying power of an instrument: this microscope should give a magnification of about 100. ∎ a magnified reproduction of something. |
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Cite this article
"magnification." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "magnification." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-magnification.html "magnification." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-magnification.html |
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magnification
magnification Measure of the enlarging power of a microscope or telescope. It is the size of an object's image produced by the instrument compared with the size of the object viewed with the unaided eye.
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Cite this article
"magnification." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "magnification." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-magnification.html "magnification." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-magnification.html |
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