Comparison of Visual Data Collection Techniques on Mizar: The Barlow Lens

Since turning their eyes to the heavens and gazing at the celestial bodies therein, mankind has been restricted and limited in his knowledge of the cosmos by the re- solving power of first, the naked-eye, and later, the telescope. It has been the goal of as- tronomers worldwide to create larger and more powerful telescopes with higher resolving capabilities. Such large telescopes are not an option, however, for amateur astronomers and as such they must rely on other instruments and tools to achieve greater precision. One of these tools is the Barlow lens, used to increase the magnification power of a telescope by increasing its focal length. This magnification can assist in precision and accuracy of obser- vations, especially when measuring the angular separation. Continuing their previous work in double star research (Bensel, Peard, Peccia, Scimeca, et al.), a contingent from St. Mary's School in Medford, Oregon compared the usage of a 2X Barlow lens with their usual tele- scope configuration and discuss the advantages and disadvantages they experienced with each.