What is a refracting telescope? A refracting telescope has three general parts (which means, no matter how modern a refracting telescope is, it would still have these main parts as foundation for other parts): the telescope tube, the objective lens and the eye piece lens. The simplest explanation for a refracting telescope would be this: a refracting telescope is composed of two lenses that are convex, which are generally more thick in the very center than at the edges. This design allows colors and light to be focused more clearly and transmitted more efficiently to the eye piece lens.