Periscope

periscope (pĕr`ĭskōp) [Gr.,=view around], instrument to enable a person to see objects not in his direct line of vision or concealed by some intervening body. Its essential parts are a tube, prisms, lenses, mirrors, and an eyepiece. The image is received in one mirror and reflected through the tube with its lenses to a mirror visible to the viewer. Periscopes used in submarines are so arranged that they can be turned to permit a view of the entire horizon, with built-in rangefinders and typically six times magnification. Submarine periscopes are of noncorrosive metal, have tubes up to 30 ft (9.1 m) long and about 6 in. (15 cm) in diameter (only a small section projects above the water), and may be withdrawn into the submarine. Many smaller types of periscopes are used in trenches and tanks. With the development of fiber optics, periscopes (known as cystoscopes or endoscopes) have become useful in medicine.

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periscope

Optical instrument (see optics) used in land and sea warfare, submarine navigation, and elsewhere to enable an observer to see the surroundings while remaining under cover, behind armour, or submerged. A periscope includes two mirrors or reflecting prisms to change the direction of the light coming from the scene observed: the first deflects it down through a vertical tube, the second diverts it horizontally so that the scene can be viewed conveniently.

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periscope [′per·ə‚skōp]

(optics)

An optical instrument used to provide a raised line of vision where it may not be practical or possible, as in entrenchments, tanks, or submarines; the raised line of vision is obtained by the use of mirrors or prisms within the structure of the item; it may have single or dual optical systems.

A thin astigmatic lens which approximates a meniscus shape and has a base curve of ±1.25 diopters.

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Periscope 

an optical instrument for viewing from such military shelters as trenches and dugouts, from tanks, and from submarines. Many periscopes permit measurement of horizontal and vertical angles on the terrain and also range-finding. The design and optical characteristics of a periscope are determined by its purpose, place of installation, and the depth from which observations are to be made.

The simplest periscope is the vertical type, consisting of a vertical sighting tube and two mirrors. Set at 45° angles to the axis of the tube, the mirrors form an optical system that refracts light rays coming from the observed object and directs them toward the observer’s eye. Periscopes in which right-angle prisms are installed in the tube instead of mirrors are common, as are telescopic lens systems and rotating systems, which can be used to obtain an erect magnified image. The field of vision of a periscope with low magnification (up to 1.5 power) is about 40°; it usually decreases with greater magnification. Certain types of periscopes give panoramic vision.