Question

Why do reflecting telescopes usually have a secondary mirror in addition to a primary mirror?

Answer 1

Once the starlight or moonlight comes down the tube and hits the big main mirror at the bottom, it's reflected, and heads back up the tube, along the same way it came in. But if you're looking through an eyepiece, the eyepiece is on the SIDE of the tube. So you need another small mirror, to catch the focused light before it goes up out of the tube, and send it sideways to the eyepiece.