Comments for TelescopeMirrors.org

Comment on Show 3 The Big Chill by BlueAquaMarina

BlueAquaMarina — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 00:32:05 +0000

Superb!! Thank you so very much my dear friend!!!

Comment on JWST Mirror Installation by MusicalAndTall

MusicalAndTall — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:58:24 +0000

Such care on a delicate masterpiece!

Comment on Wax On, Wax Off: Behind the Webb by MarkHicks121

MarkHicks121 — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:43:07 +0000

Disclosure Now.
Is The Law To Know The Truth.
Tell The Truth Of UFOs
We Want The Truth.
Disclosure Now, IsThe Law To Know The Truth!!

Comment on Wax On, Wax Off: Behind the Webb by ronfurg

ronfurg — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:05:21 +0000

Great to see just a bit of what type of technology makes it all work.

Comment on Wax On, Wax Off: Behind the Webb by xthuanho

xthuanho — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:58:13 +0000

YES !!!!!

Comment on Very Large Telescope by Films4You

Films4You — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 17:09:24 +0000

1:26 Over 8 metres, this is about 24 feet in old money

wooo this is large in itself.

Comment on Very Large Telescope by MrMysz001

MrMysz001 — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:40:32 +0000

my 1 has 130mm
and motor drive

Comment on Very Large Telescope by duxberry1958

duxberry1958 — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 15:57:52 +0000

so wears the photos ??

Comment on Mirror Grinding Machine Setup by tabhorian

tabhorian — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:57:35 +0000

Nifty machine. Love the music – who is it?

Comment on What does “Ion Milled” mean when refering to telescope mirrors? by doesmagic

doesmagic — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 17:14:45 +0000

When a piece of glass is ground into a mirror surface or a lens it is subjected to finer and finer grinding surfaces. At the final grinding very small pieces of diamond are used to give the glass the smoothest possible surface.

So, the principle works like this: start with something large and rough and work your way down to something very, very small and rough. This kind of technique has worked for grinding lenses and mirrors for literally hundreds of years.

Then Kodak developed the ion beam figuring or ion milling. Since the ions are orders of magnitude smaller than the smallest diamond grit the ion beam could ‘grind’ the lens to nearly perfect smoothness.

As you know the smoother the lens or mirror surface the better the data the instrument it is used in will be.

Ion milling is not cheap so the lenses and mirrors made with this process are not cheap either. Nor is this type of mirror or lens needed backyard astronomy or even college biology. But if you are using really large telescopes that look way into deep space no other mirror surface need even be considered. Likewise for very precise microscopic work such as with nerve cells and the interacting neurotransmitters.