This book provides an introduction to the design of a variety of telescopes, mounts, and drives suitable for the home-constructor. Projects include instruments that range from a shoestring budget to specialist devices that are not commercially available. The skill level of each project is indicated and advice is provided as to what is sensible to construct, given what is commercially available. Hints and tips are included, as well as listings of reputable mail order sources of materials and components.

Modern optical systems rely on leading-edge production technologies, especially when using aspherical optical elements. Due to the inherent complexity of aspheres, all efforts to push the technological limits are risky. Thus, to minimize risk, clear decisions based on a good understanding of technology are indispensable. This compendium is written as an optical technology reference book for development and production engineers. With contributions from worldwide experts, this book aids in mitigating the risk in adopting new asphere production technologies.

Advanced Optical Instruments and Techniques includes twenty-three chapters providing processes, methods, and procedures of cutting-edge optics engineering design and instrumentation. Topics include biomedical instrumentation and basic and advanced interferometry. Optical metrology is discussed, including point and full-field methods. Active and adaptive optics, holography, radiometry, the human eye, and visible light are covered as well as materials, including photonics, nanophotonics, anisotropic materials, and metamaterials.

This is the first volume of a monumental work that will provide a complete treatment of all theoretical aspects of reflecting telescope optics. It addresses all specialists in the field, both within the astronomical community and in industry, and, consequently, particular emphasis is placed on subjects such as practical alignment, test techniques, and maintenance aspects. Whereas the second volume will concentrate on technical aspects and modern developments, this one is devoted to the theory of reflecting telescope optics and, together with the historical development, it will also prove to be useful to students. This book has real classic potential.