finder
1. Physics a small low-power wide-angle telescope fitted to a more powerful larger telescope, used to locate celestial objects to be studied by the larger instrument
Collins Discovery Encyclopedia, 1st edition © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
finder
A low-power telescope with a wide field of view that has its optical axis aligned with that of the main telescope. It is used to locate an object to be observed and facilitate the training of the main telescope on that object. Because the field of view of the average amateur astronomer's telescope used at its lowest power is only about half a degree, some means of pointing it in the correct direction is needed. Setting circles enable this to be done with a permanent equatorial mounting but for a portable or a simple altazimuth mounting a finder is essential. It should have a field of view of at least four to eight degrees and be provided with illuminated cross wires or a graticule.Collins Dictionary of Astronomy © Market House Books Ltd, 2006
finder
[′fīnd·ər] (communications)
An optical or electronic device that shows the field of action covered by a television camera.
Switch or relay group in telephone switching systems that selects the path which the call is to take through the system; operates under the instruction of the calling station's dial.
(optics)
A small telescope having a wide-angle lens and low power, which is attached to a larger telescope and points in the same direction; used to locate objects that are to be viewed in the larger telescope.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific & Technical Terms, 6E, Copyright © 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Finder
(operating system)This article is provided by FOLDOC - Free Online Dictionary of Computing (foldoc.org)
Finder
The part of the Mac operating system that gives it the Mac "look and feel." It also provides file management (copy, delete, rename files) and control of the desktop icons, windows, Clipboard and Scrapbook as well as the application startup interface. The Finder resides in the System folder. See MultiFinder.Copyright © 1981-2025 by The Computer Language Company Inc. All Rights reserved. THIS DEFINITION IS FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY. All other reproduction is strictly prohibited without permission from the publisher.
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Finder
in astronomy, an auxiliary wide-angle tube immovably attached to a larger telescope and used to locate a celestial object and fix the larger telescope on it. The optic axes of the finder and the telescope are parallel; the cross hairs are placed in the finder’s field of view for more precise aiming of the telescope.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.