Independent buying guides for backyard astronomy

Telescope Magnification Calculator

Enter your telescope and eyepiece details to see what each eyepiece really does, and whether you are pushing past what the optics can show.

Result

Magnification
75x
Exit pupil
2 mm
True field of view
0.69° (Moon is about 0.5°)
Max useful magnification
300x
Focal ratio
f/5

Most nights the atmosphere limits useful magnification to about 200-300x regardless of aperture.

How this calculator works

Magnification = telescope focal length x Barlow / eyepiece focal length. Exit pupil = aperture / magnification. True field = apparent field / magnification. Maximum useful magnification is about 2x per millimetre of aperture.