Practice aligning telescope optics with simulated star test and laser collimation
Mirror wobble! A screw has lost contact. Tighten it (toward +) to restore stability.
Collimation Quality
100%
Excellent collimation!
How to Use — Star Test
- Click Randomize to simulate a miscollimated telescope
- Adjust the collimation screws (+/-) until the ring pattern is perfectly centered
- Compare intra-focal and extra-focal views — in a collimated scope, the shadow stays centered in both
- The focus slider changes how far from focus you are (more rings = more defocused)
- Aim for 95%+ quality to achieve good collimation
- Newtonian mode adds primary mirror screws for a more complex challenge
- If you back a screw out too far (past −2), it loses contact and the mirror wobbles — tighten it back to restore stability
How to Use — Laser Collimation
- A laser collimator is inserted into the focuser — the beam bounces off the secondary to the primary and back
- The left target (Primary Mirror) shows where the laser hits the primary — adjust secondary screws to center this dot
- The right target (Collimator) shows the return beam — adjust primary screws to center this dot
- Step 1: Center the left dot with secondary screws
- Step 2: Center the right dot with primary screws (this may shift the left dot slightly — iterate)
- Aim for 95%+ quality — both dots must be centered
- If you back a screw out too far (past −2), it loses contact and the mirror wobbles