Multi primary mirror scope

[Earl]

I know pro scopes can be the multi mirror hexagonal cells.

Could you for instance use 7 12inch round mirrors all colimated to a single secondary and have the same effect or is it the total curvature from edge to edge rather than single mirrors the key?

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

If you used multiple standard parabolic mirrors, this would not work. The centre one would be used on axis, but the others would be used far off axis, and show terrible coma. If the surrounding mirrors are gound as an offset parabola, with the optical centres coninciding with the optical centre of the centre mirror, you could in theory create a single parabolic surface distributed over several mirrors. That would be an absolute nightmare to collimate. Big multi-mirror telescopes rely on actuators to keep the mirrors in the correct shape and collimated.

[jamespels]

Agree with Michael on this. Your other option would be to treat them as a number of separate scopes, each with their own secondary, and bring the images together with a clever (ie one I do not understand!) arrangement of prisms. Again, I would expect this top be a nightmare to configure.

Sounds like you have the same problem I do - how to get a big mirror that is practical and affordable!

[crashtestdummy]

as above,you would have to shape each mirror separately to form part of a larger curve plus if you used round sections you would have large gaps between it hence the hexagonal shape for an interlocking mirror.

not nly would it be a nightmare to configure you would end up with overlapping secondary shadows and in the end it would be far more expensive/complicated than one big mirror imho