Honors Astronomy 11/9/17
It is much easier to build large reflectors than large refractors
True
The light gathering ability of a telescope is most dependent on the diameter of its primary objective (collecting area)
True
One reason for building telescopes on mountain tops is that they improve seeing by reducing the amount of air above the observer
True
Optical telescopes are used only at night, but radio telescopes can be used at day or night
True
Due to our ozone layer filtering much the UV waves, ultraviolet telescopes are mainly in space
True
Like a water bucket that collects only rain falling into it, a telescope intercepts
Radiation
What is the primary purpose of an astronomical telescope
To collect a lot of light and bring it into focus
The process occurring when photons bounce off a polished surface is called
Reflection
The total area capable of gathering radiation is called the
Collecting area
Altitude of a telescope minimizes atmospheric absorption of
Infrared radiation
It is diffraction that limits what of a a telescopes objective
Resolution
What is the resolution of a telescope
Its ability to distinguish two adjacent objects close together in the sky
Diffraction is the tendency of light to…
Bend around corners
It is diffraction that limits the what of a telescope of a given objective diameter
Resolution
What are two advantages of large scopes over smaller ones
Large telescopes have more light grasp and better resolution
Turbulence in the air causes light from a star to be what as it travels towards us
Refracted
The space between the stars in our galaxy is not empty, but instead filled with
Low density gas
Radio telescopes must be built large because what are very faint
Cosmic radiation sources
Radio dishes are large in order to
Increase their angular resolution and collect the very weak radio photons
Radio astronomy is disadvantaged compared to optical astronomy because it has poor
Angular resolution
High end astronomy studies what two types of radiation
X rays and gamma rays
The ability of a telescope to distinguish between adjacent objects in the sky is angular resolution
True
A collection of two or more telescopes working together as a team observing the same object is called an interferometer
True
Optical telescopes are designed to collect wavelengths of visible light
True
A reflecting telescope uses a lens instead of a curved mirror to focus the incoming light
False
Turbulence is small scale eddies of swirling air in the atmosphere
True
Which is a problem for all large radio telescopes
Radio waves have long wavelengths, so radio telescopes have poor resolution
In which part of the EM spectrum have astronomers been unable to get any information
We now have access in all spectral wavelengths
Which supplies x ray images from space
Einstein & Chandra
X-ray telescopes depend on
Grazing incidence optics and nested mirrors
The spitzer space telescope detects UV rays
False, it detects infrared
Radio telescopes can be used during the day time and bad weather
True
Ground based telescopes can be used for infrared radiation in higher elevations but the atmosphere diminishes the intensity diminishes
True
The best place to observe astronomy is in the mid west states
False
Which of these is not used to detect infrared and ultraviolet astronomy
Low altitude drones
Using infrared astronomy telescopes, we can see through dust and smog
True
The fermi space telescope detects what wavelengths
Gamma rays
A telescope that uses a lens to gather and focus light from a distant object is
A refracting telescope