The telescope was initially constructed as a Nasmyth reflector but due to collimation problems it was converted in the 1990s to the simpler Newtonian configuration.The telescope has stepper motor drive control with an electrical focusser.The dome is electrically driven and will move automatically as the telescope tracks across the sky.…
The Olema turned; and there on the highest minaret of gold, the green flag had begun smoldering.As Brodeur adjusted his ray-focusser, the banner of the Prophet burst into bright flame, and went up in a puff of fire.Only by setting teeth into his lip could the Sheik repress a cry.…Cited from The Flying Legion, by George Allan England
A Jones-Bird Newtonian telescope (sometimes called a Bird-Jones) is a mirror-lens (catadioptric) variation on the traditional design sold in the amateur telescope market.The design uses a spherical primary mirror in place of a parabolic one, with spherical aberrations corrected by sub-aperture corrector lens usually mounted inside the focusser tube or in front of the secondary mirror.This design reduces the size and cost of the telescope with a shorter overall telescope tube length (with the corrector extending the focal length in a "telephoto" type layout) combined with a less costly spherical mirror.…