Collimation--the optical alignment of a telescope--is critical to performance.  Uncollimated optics can result in a blurry image and stars that do not appear as pinpoints.  Planetary detail is especially affected by collimation errors.  Knowing how to collimate your telescope will allow you to obtain the best possible images from it.  The techniques for collimating Newtonians and SCTs are very different, so they are given in separate sections.  If you have any questions on collimating your telescope, please feel free to contact us.

Using a Telescope