Dawes' limit
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Dawes' limit is a formula to express the maximum resolving power of a microscope or telescope.[1] It is so named after its discoverer, William Rutter Dawes ,[2] although it is also credited to Lord Rayleigh.
The formula takes different forms depending on the units.
| R = 4.56/D | D in inches, R in arcseconds |
| R = 116/D | D in millimeters, R in arcseconds |
| where | D is the diameter of the main lens (aperture) |
| R is the resolving power of the instrument |
This formula agrees with the usual at a wavelength of about 460nm, somewhat bluer than the peak sensitivity of rod cells at c. 498nm.
See also
[edit | edit source]References
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- ^ Dawes, W.R., Catalogue of Micrometrical Measurements of Double Stars. In: Memoirs of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 35, p.137 1867, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
