Catoptrics

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Light path of a Newtonian (Catoptric) telescope
Light path of a Newtonian (Catoptric) telescope

Catoptrics deals with the phenomena of reflected light and image-forming optical systems using mirrors.

Catoptrics was described by Euclid in his book of the same name which covered the mathematical theory of mirrors, particularly the images formed in plane and spherical concave mirrors.

The first practical catoptric telescope (the "Newtonian reflector") was built by Isaac Newton as a solution to the problem of chromatic aberration exhibited in dioptric telescopes.

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