What is a Parabolic Mirror?
A parabolic mirror is a specially shaped object designed to capture energy and focus it to a single point. It may also work as a way of distributing energy from the focus point back outwards. Parabolic mirrors may also be referred to as parabolic dishes or parabolic reflectors. Parabolic mirrors are a specific type of paraboloid, known as a paraboloid of revolution. This is a type of elliptical paraboloid that is rotated around its axis and may also be referred to as a circular paraboloid. One of the earliest uses of the parabolic mirror was in Isaac Newton’s reflecting telescope of the 17th century. By using a parabolic mirror, reflecting telescopes correct some of the aberrations which existed in older refracting telescopes. With the use of parabolic mirrors, however, some other problems are introduced. This includes a problem called coma, which exists in all telescopes using parabolic mirrors. Coma causes any objects viewed through the telescope which are not at the center of the fi
