Optical observatory for insect farm

摘要

A self-contained observatory making it possible for a child or other observer to view in an enlarged scale a farm of tiny insects confined within a transparent cartridge. The housing of the observatory includes an inlet to receive the cartridge which is illuminated by a light source mounted within the housing. Also mounted within the housing is a concave mirror and a lens adapted to project a real image of the illuminated farm onto the contoured surface of the mirror. The placement of the concave mirror and its radius of curvature are such as to project onto a free space in advance of the contoured surface an upright and magnified three-dimensional virtual image of the farm of living insects whereby the observer is then better able to see the physical form of each insect and to observe its activities.