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The convex secondary mirror in this design focuses light down through a hole cut in the concave primary mirror

User Dave Smash
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Final answer:

The convex secondary mirror in a reflecting telescope focuses light down through a hole cut in the concave primary mirror.

Step-by-step explanation:

A convex secondary mirror in a reflecting telescope is used to focus light down through a hole cut in the concave primary mirror. This design is commonly found in Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes.

In this arrangement, the light-gathering concave mirror reflects the light back towards the convex secondary mirror, which redirects the light through a hole in the primary mirror to an observing station below the telescope.

This allows more light to get through the system and facilitates easy viewing for astronomers.

User JJR
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