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Dawes' limit is a formula to express the maximum resolving power of a microscopeortelescope.[1] It is so named after its discoverer, William Rutter Dawes ,[2] although it is also credited to Lord Rayleigh.
The formula takes different forms depending on the units.
| R = 4.56/D | D in inches, Rinarcseconds |
| R = 11.6/D | D in centimeters, R in arcseconds |
| where | D is the diameter of the main lens (aperture) |
| R is the resolving power of the instrument |
This formula agrees with the usual
The most stringent test of telescopic resolution uses the criteria of Dawes' limit given by the equation R = 4.56/D, where R is the resolution in arcseconds and D is the telescope's aperture in inches.
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