Edmund Optics® Helps Blend Science and Art In Historic Reconstruction


October 6, 2009, Barrington, NJ. - Edmund Optics (EO), the premier provider of optical components, today announced that Telescopes of Vermont has chosen EO as the optics supplier for its recreation of the historic Porter Garden Telescope. Russell Williams Porter (1872 - 1949), who originally designed the telescope in the 1920s, was a renowned artist and architect who was part of the design team that created the 200-inch telescope at the Palomar Observatory in California, once the largest in the world. Porter's Garden Telescope, a model for the split ring mount used at the Palomar Observatory, stands only 35 inches high. Like the original, the exacting reproduction is a masterful blend of art and science designed for permanent installation in a garden setting where it is both ornamental and utilitarian. Only a handful of the original devices exists, one of which is in the Smithsonian.

The reproduction Garden Telescope is fabricated from bronze and utilizes a 6-inch, f/4 mirror in an open-tube Newtonian configuration. Two eyepieces give users a range of magnifications for both terrestrial and astronomical observing. The telescope's elegant design cradles the primary mirror in a bowl of lotus leaves, while a slender stem reaches up to hold the secondary mirror and eyepieces. The mirrors and eyepiece optics are all removable, allowing the telescope body to remain outdoors where it can also function as a sundial.

EO's broad inventory and commitment to customer service were major factors in securing its role as optics supplier for the Garden Telescope. "I selected Edmund Optics for the mirrors because the sizes available from stock were exactly what we needed," said optical systems engineer Berton Willard. "The surface accuracy met our requirements and the costs were reasonable."

For the eyepieces, Willard chose EO's RKE series because of their simple triplet design and for the support that the company provided. "EO's openness in providing design information on the eyepieces allowed us to perform retracing to evaluate their use with the primary mirror and for the repackaging," said Willard. The eyepieces require installation in a ¾-inch diameter cell to match the original design.

"We are thrilled to be a part of the effort to reintroduce this historic and beautiful instrument," said Marisa Edmund, EO's VP of Marketing and Communications. "People will be able to admire both its beauty and, through EO's optics, the beauty of our spectacular universe."

About EO:

Edmund Optics® (EO) is a leading producer of optics, imaging, and photonics technology for R&D, electronics, semiconductor, pharmaceutical, biomedical, and military markets around the globe. EO is the world's largest supplier of off-the-shelf optical components. Customers can purchase items by contacting EO at 1-800-363-1992, via the new interactive catalog, the website at www.edmundoptics.com, or requesting their print catalog.

Company Contact:

Kirsten Bjork-Jones

Director Global Marketing Communications

Edmund Optics®, Inc.

101 East Gloucester Pike

Barrington, NJ 08007 U.S.A.

Phone: 1-800-363-1992

Fax: 1-856-573-6295

email: kbjork-jones@edmundoptics.com

Editorial Contact:

James Liolin

Lion Associates

550 Mamaroneck Avenue

Harrison, NY 10528

Phone: 914-670-0138

Fax: 914-670-0596

email: jliolin@lionadv.com

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