IN OUR MAY ISSUE, I wrote about what might be the smallest Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope in the world. Today I bring you two telescopes that might take the record for the smallest fully functional Newtonians. Japanese amateur astronomer Hisayuki Uto began his project with an appreciation for urushi lacquer, the millennia-old traditional glossy finish made from the sap of the urushi tree. Hisayuki says urushi-finished items "exude a warmth that has to be handled to be appreciated. Their silky-smooth texture is comforting and inviting." It occurred to him that urushi lacquer would make an excellent finish for a telescope, too, so he set out to build one.
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