Skip to main content
coude system

coude system

9.9
Part of a telescope that directs light to a fixed place for a camera or instrument to study light
  • noun
  • /kuːdeɪ ˈsɪstəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sistema coudé
  • Using a coude system allows researchers to attach various instruments without moving the telescope.

Examples

  • The observatory recently installed a new coude system to enhance their spectrographic observations.

  • Astronomers prefer the coude system when they need a stationary instrument attached to a telescope.

  • A coude system is ideal for collecting light at a fixed location for detailed analysis.

  • The coude system allows astronomers to capture clearer images.

  • Many observatories use a coude system for their telescopes.

  • A coude system is ideal for directing light to a fixed focus for accurate measurements.

  • The observatory upgraded its equipment with a new coude system to improve data collection.

Synonyms

coudé
vscoude system
  • Specialized
9.9

A telescope setup that bends light to a fixed point so instruments stay still

is the same arrangement term used for attaching a plate holder or spectrograph
coude telescope
vscoude system
  • Specialized
9.3

A telescope with mirrors that sends light to a fixed point for a camera or an instrument that measures light

is the arrangement term referring to the same fixed focus setup

Surface Forms

coude system singular
coude systems plural

Morphology

coude + system

This is a specialized technical term where 'coude' is not a common English lexical item (word not found) and the general noun 'system' does not by itself indicate a telescope arrangement. Even if a learner knew the French-derived sense of coudé (‘elbow’), the specific optical setup and function (directing light to a fixed focus) are technical and not predictably derivable from the constituents, so the expression is opaque to a B1 learner.

Etymology

Coude system comes from the French word coude, which means 'elbow'. Mirrors in the system bend the light like an elbow to send it to one fixed spot where an instrument can be attached, so the name describes the telescope arrangement.