Optical baffle

thumb|This telescope has baffles, visible as regularly spaced rings within the optical tube, to minimize glare from stars or artificial light sources.

An '''optical baffle''' is an opto-mechanical construction designed to block light from a source shining into the front of an optical system and reaching the image as unwanted light.<ref>{{cite web|title=Reducing stray light in Opto-Mechanical Systems|url=https://lavinia.as.arizona.edu/~minimaestro/MAESTRO/Construction/References/stray_light_paper.pdf|access-date=8 January 2019|publisher=Lambda Research Corporation}}</ref>

== Principles == Optical systems which have stringent requirements on stray light levels often need optical baffles. There are many designs, depending on the desired goals. Generic optical baffle designs and their advantages for stray light control can be classified as reflective, absorbing or refractive; reimaging and nonreimaging systems.<ref>{{cite conference |last=Freniere |first=E.R. |title=First-order design of optical baffles |book-title=Proceedings Volume 0257, Radiation Scattering in Optical Systems |page=19 |conference=1980 Huntsville Technical Symposium, 1980, Huntsville, United States |date=1981 |bibcode = 1981SPIE..257...19F |doi=10.1117/12.959598}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:Optical devices