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Small telescope
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{{More citations needed|date=March 2007}} A '''small telescope''' is generally considered by professional [[astronomer]]s to be any [[reflecting telescope]] with a [[primary mirror]] that is less than {{convert|2|m|in|sigfig=1}} in diameter.<ref name="NinePlanets">{{cite web |last=Arnett |first=Bill |title=Large Telescopes |url=http://astro.nineplanets.org/bigeyes.html |website=astro.nineplanets.org |date=August 14, 2010|accessdate=March 9, 2019}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=March 2019|reason=This '''software engineer's''' webpage does not seem sufficient to justify the premise of this entire article, even it '''did''' state this directly, which it doesn't.}} By [[amateur astronomy|amateur]] standards, a small telescope can have a primary mirror/[[aperture]] less than {{convert|6|–|10|in|mm|sigfig=2}} in diameter.<ref name="ST20101210">{{cite web |title=Three Great, Small Reflectors |publisher=[[Sky & Telescope]] |last=Flanders |first=Tony |date=December 10, 2010 |url=http://www.skyandtelescope.com/astronomy-news/three-great-small-reflectors/ |accessdate=October 26, 2015}}</ref> Little if any professional-level research is performed with [[refracting telescope]]s in the modern era of astronomy. Small telescopes dominate astronomical research in the fields of [[asteroid]]/[[comet]] discovery/observation, [[variable star]] [[photometry (astronomy)|photometry]], [[supernova]]/[[nova]] discovery, and [[colorimetry]]/[[polarimetry]] of the [[Solar System]]'s planets. Because of their limited light-gathering capability, small telescopes are usually not well-suited to [[spectroscopy]], although some useful spectroscopic work can be performed with reflecting telescopes with a primary mirror as small as {{Convert|14|in|mm}} when equipped with the increasingly sophisticated [[Charge-coupled device|CCD]] imaging and spectroscopic instrumentation that has become available to amateur astronomers in the 21st century. Most telescopes within the field of amateur astronomy are considered to be small, ranging in general from {{Convert|2|in|mm|sigfig=1|adj=on}} achromatic refracting types, to reflecting telescopes featuring primary mirrors up to {{Convert|36|in|mm}} or more in diameter. Most small telescopes are dedicated to visual observation, although many are used for [[astrophotography]] or to gather scientific data. The range of amateur astronomers' telescopes is wide, with numerous types and designs. Refracting designs include [[achromatic lens|achromatic]] and [[apochromatic]] types. Some reflecting types are [[Newtonian telescope|Newtonian]], [[Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope|Schmidt–Cassegrain]], [[Maksutov-Cassegrain]], and [[Maksutov-Newtonian]]. Even sophisticated designs, such as the [[Ritchey–Chrétien telescope|Ritchey–Chrétien]] and (corrected){{Clarify|date=March 2019|reason=Could a subject expert find a link for "corrected"?}} [[Dall–Kirkham telescope|Dall–Kirkham]], which have traditionally been the preserve of large professional-grade instruments, have become available to amateurs.
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