camera

Both the bicycle and the truck use the wheel. Whats the difference? is it possible to carry tonnage loads using a bicycle?

The focal length of the lens is responsible for reproducing an image on the sensor(film). The focal length used for a terrextrial type of camera is much shorter than that used for telescopes. My super zoom camera has a 28-380 mm equivalent focal length, it is insufficient to create a decent photo of the full moon.

Since you limited the telescope to lenses (like a camera) as opposed to mirrors, the focal length that one can get is probably about a meter. (1000mm) These are called refractors and they are about enough to see the rings of saturn, and the other planets as dots. and get you pretty close up to the moon, although the bigger the telescope, the greater the problems of shake from wind etc.

If you want to reach out and touch the sky optically, you need some serious focal length, thats why reflectors are so popular as the mirrors allow you to fold the light path, multiplying the focal length with in the physical length of the scope itself. just as you need much stronger wheel to carry heavy cargo.

But if you have a 10 megapixel or greater camera, with 300 or more zoom, and a good tripod, and are competent in photoshop, You could probably get a fair picture of the full moon.

but nothing to brag about.

There really is a reason for specialized tools.

If you want to get in to astronmy photography, I think that you might enjoy building your own dobsonian. (though its not as portable as just a camera!)

http://pages.sbcglobal.net/raycash/manualv2.pdf

http://www.scopemaking.net/dobson/dobson.htm

Good luck.

milo