Question 1

Why doesn't the Hubble Space Telescope need adaptive optics?

Accepted Answer

Adaptive optics correct poor s

Question 2

Contrast image formation in reflectors and refractors.

Accepted Answer

Reflectors use a curved mirror

Question 3

What problem do refractor telescopes have that reflectors don't?

Accepted Answer

A) diffraction limited resolution 
B) light loss from secondary elements 
C) chromatic aberration 
D) spherical aberration 
E) bad seeing 
A) diffraction limited resolution 
B) light loss from secondary elements 
C) chromatic aberration 
D) spherical aberration 
E) bad seeing

Question 4

What is the resolution of a telescope?

Accepted Answer

A) its ability to see very faint objects 
B) its ability to distinguish two adjacent objects close together in the sky 
C) its ability to make distant objects appear much closer to us 
D) its ability to separate light into its component colors for analysis 
E) its ability to focus more than just visible light for imaging 
A) its ability to see very faint objects 
B) its ability to distinguish two adjacent objects close together in the sky 
C) its ability to make distant objects appear much closer to us 
D) its ability to separate light into its component colors for analysis 
E) its ability to focus more than just visible light for imaging

Question 5

If used in a single instrument to greatly enhance its resolution, the four separate mirrors of theVLT will be acting as a(n)________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of If used in a single instrument to...

Question 6

Computers are used to sharpen images collected by telescopes by

Accepted Answer

A) producing false color images. 
B) increasing resolution. 
C) reducing diffraction. 
D) reducing chromatic aberration. 
E) reducing the noise in observations. 
A) producing false color images. 
B) increasing resolution. 
C) reducing diffraction. 
D) reducing chromatic aberration. 
E) reducing the noise in observations.

Question 7

Explain why the image seen in astronomical telescopes is inverted.

Accepted Answer

In both reflectors and refract

Question 8

Why is it easier to travel to a remote viewing site with an 8" Cassegrain than an 8" Newtonianreflector?

Accepted Answer

The Cassegrain desig

Question 9

The Chandra Space Telescope observes ________ radiation.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Chandra Space Telescope observes ________ radiation....

Question 10

The tendency of a wave to bend as it passes from one transparent medium to another is called:

Accepted Answer

A) reflection. 
B) dispersion. 
C) refraction. 
D) diffraction. 
E) interference. 
A) reflection. 
B) dispersion. 
C) refraction. 
D) diffraction. 
E) interference.

Question 11

What type of telescope is the Hubble Space Telescope?

Accepted Answer

A) refractor 
B) prime focus 
C) Newtonian 
D) Cassegrain 
E) Nasmyth/Coude 
A) refractor 
B) prime focus 
C) Newtonian 
D) Cassegrain 
E) Nasmyth/Coude

Question 12

Compared to a 5-inch prime focus reflector, a 5-inch Newtonian reflector will:

Accepted Answer

A) have more light gathering power. 
B) have the same light gathering power. 
C) be easier to build. 
D) have more chromatic aberration. 
E) have a larger hole in the center of its mirror. 
A) have more light gathering power. 
B) have the same light gathering power. 
C) be easier to build. 
D) have more chromatic aberration. 
E) have a larger hole in the center of its mirror.

Question 13

Which reflector telescope would be the easiest to construct, and why?

Accepted Answer

The prime focus refl

Question 14

You are a novice telescope builder. Should you attempt a 6" Newtonian or Cassegrainreflector first? Why?

Accepted Answer

The Newtonian uses only a curved main mi

Question 15

Why is a complete image formed even if half of a lens or mirror is blocked?

Accepted Answer

While the image formed is only

Question 16

In astronomy, an interferometer can be used to:

Accepted Answer

A) yield better seeing conditions with optical telescopes. 
B) decrease the effects of light pollution in getting darker sky backgrounds. 
C) improve the angular resolution of radio telescopes. 
D) increase the sensitivity of infrared telescopes to longer wavelengths. 
E) speed up the processing of CCD images. 
A) yield better seeing conditions with optical telescopes. 
B) decrease the effects of light pollution in getting darker sky backgrounds. 
C) improve the angular resolution of radio telescopes. 
D) increase the sensitivity of infrared telescopes to longer wavelengths. 
E) speed up the processing of CCD images.

Question 17

Which of the following telescopes does (did)NOT observe infrared light?

Accepted Answer

A) Hubble 
B) Herschel 
C) Spitzer 
D) Chandra 
E) James Webb 
A) Hubble 
B) Herschel 
C) Spitzer 
D) Chandra 
E) James Webb

Question 18

The largest refracting telescope can collect more light than the largest reflecting telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 19

The detectors on the Spitzer Space Telescope were cooled to near absolute zero in order to:

Accepted Answer

A) allow the electronics in these instruments to operate most efficiently. 
B) keep the telescope more nearly stationary. 
C) prevent the infrared radiation from the instruments interfering with the infrared signals fromspace. 
D) improve the angular resolution of the telescope. 
A) allow the electronics in these instruments to operate most efficiently. 
B) keep the telescope more nearly stationary. 
C) prevent the infrared radiation from the instruments interfering with the infrared signals fromspace. 
D) improve the angular resolution of the telescope.

Question 20

It is diffraction that limits the ________ of a telescope's objective.

Accepted Answer

A) magnification 
B) resolution 
C) light grasp 
D) wavelengths 
E) frequencies 
A) magnification 
B) resolution 
C) light grasp 
D) wavelengths 
E) frequencies

Exam 5: Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

Why doesn't the Hubble Space Telescope need adaptive optics?

Contrast image formation in reflectors and refractors.

What problem do refractor telescopes have that reflectors don't?

What is the resolution of a telescope?

If used in a single instrument to greatly enhance its resolution, the four separate mirrors of theVLT will be acting as a(n)________.

Computers are used to sharpen images collected by telescopes by

Explain why the image seen in astronomical telescopes is inverted.

Why is it easier to travel to a remote viewing site with an 8" Cassegrain than an 8" Newtonianreflector?

The Chandra Space Telescope observes ________ radiation.

The tendency of a wave to bend as it passes from one transparent medium to another is called:

What type of telescope is the Hubble Space Telescope?

Compared to a 5-inch prime focus reflector, a 5-inch Newtonian reflector will:

Which reflector telescope would be the easiest to construct, and why?

You are a novice telescope builder. Should you attempt a 6" Newtonian or Cassegrainreflector first? Why?

Why is a complete image formed even if half of a lens or mirror is blocked?

In astronomy, an interferometer can be used to:

Which of the following telescopes does (did)NOT observe infrared light?

The largest refracting telescope can collect more light than the largest reflecting telescope.

The detectors on the Spitzer Space Telescope were cooled to near absolute zero in order to:

It is diffraction that limits the ________ of a telescope's objective.

Charting the Heavens: The Foundations of Astronomy

The Copernican Revolution: The Birth of Modern Science

Radiation: Information From the Cosmos

Spectroscopy: the Inner Workings of Atoms

The Solar System: Comparative Planetology and Formation Models

Earth: Our Home in Space

The Moon and Mercury: Scorched and Battered Worlds

Venus: Earths Sister Planet

Mars: a Near Miss for Life

Jupiter: Giant of the Solar System

Saturn: Spectacular Rings and Mysterious Moons

Uranus and Neptune: The Outer Worlds of the Solar System

Solar System Debris: Keys to Our Origin

Exoplanets: Planetary Systems Beyond Our Own

The Sun: Our Parent Star

The Stars: Giants, Dwarfs, and the Main Sequence

The Interstellar Medium: Gas and Dust Among the Stars

Star Formation: a Traumatic Birth

Stellar Evolution: The Life and Death of a Star

Stellar Explosions: Novae, Supernovae, and the Formation of the Elements

Neutron Stars and Black Holes: Strange States of Matter

The Milky Way Galaxy: a Spiral in Space

Galaxies: Building Blocks of the Universe

Galaxies and Dark Matter: The Large-Scale Structure of the Cosmos

Cosmology: The Big Bang and the Fate of the Universe

The Early Universe: Toward the Beginning of Time

Life in the Universe: Are We Alone

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