this post was submitted on 17 Dec 2025
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xkcd #3182: Telescope Types

Title text:

I'm trying to buy a gravitational lens for my camera, but I can't tell if the manufacturers are listing comoving focal length or proper focal length.

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3182/

explainxkcd for #3182

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[–] Wrufieotnak@feddit.org 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Not an expert, but as far as I know, you nearly never see a true single picture, but always a combined one. So they take multiple slightly overlapping pictures who are seeing the hidden middle spot of other pictures.

This also helps by making sure what you see on one picture is also there on other pictures and not just a random dust particle in the air or some other thing on earth/in its atmosphere rather than an object in outer space.