Fecker Reflecting Telescope

Description

This reflecting telescope was originally placed in the rooftop observatory of The Franklin Institute, a science museum in Philadelphia. Reflecting telescopes use a series of curved mirrors collect and reflect light to a focus inside the tube. From the 1920s through the 1960s, Fecker was a leading manufacturer of professional telescopes for universities, observatories, and museums. During the 1950s, Fecker expanded its offerings to include smaller scopes for amateur use.

Object Information

Date Created:

ca. 1933

Local ID:

FI Catalog # 3955

Collection:

Astronomy

Credit Line:

Purchased by The Franklin Institute in 1933

Citation:

Fecker Reflecting Telescope (FI Catalog # 3955) from the collections of The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, PA. USA

Creator(s):

J. W. Fecker

Materials:

Metal, Glass

Classification:

T&E For Science & Technology, Astronomical T&E 

Rights:

Fair Use for educational purposes

Appears In

Resource Kit
The Franklin Institute

Treading Among the Stars: How We’ve Found Our Way

Long before there were advanced technologies available for studying the sky, people devised ways of depicting the sun, moon, planets, and stars in relation to the Earth to figure out how our planet fit into the vast universe. Our method of exploring the night sky has grown to now include actual trips into space, even visiting another celestial body in person. But before technology made direct exploration possible, we had to use remote methods to map the expanse we could see from Earth.

Created by: The Franklin Institute

Grade 3-8