Question 1

What is a CCD, and how does it work? Why has it replaced photographic plates?

Accepted Answer

A charge coupled device consists of a gr

Question 2

The James Webb Space Telescope is designed to observe object primarily using ultravioletlight.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 3

The James Webb Space Telescope is different than other space telescopes because it

Accepted Answer

A) is launched on a rocket. 
B) uses a segmented mirror. 
C) observes infrared light. 
D) is more compact. 
E) is closer to the Sun. 
A) is launched on a rocket. 
B) uses a segmented mirror. 
C) observes infrared light. 
D) is more compact. 
E) is closer to the Sun.

Question 4

What problem is adaptive optics designed to correct?

Accepted Answer

A) the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere 
B) defects in the optical figuring, such as with the adaptive optics on HST 
C) slight tracking errors in trying to compensate for our unsteady rotation 
D) the effects of atmospheric turbulence 
E) the absorption of ultraviolet by the ozone layer 
A) the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere 
B) defects in the optical figuring, such as with the adaptive optics on HST 
C) slight tracking errors in trying to compensate for our unsteady rotation 
D) the effects of atmospheric turbulence 
E) the absorption of ultraviolet by the ozone layer

Question 5

All radio telescopes are reflectors in design.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 6

Radio telescopes image a universe much ________ in temperature than with visible light.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Radio telescopes image a universe much ________...

Question 7

Diffraction is the tendency of light to:

Accepted Answer

A) spread around corners. 
B) separate into its component colors. 
C) bend through a lens. 
D) disperse within a prism. 
E) reflect off a mirror. 
A) spread around corners. 
B) separate into its component colors. 
C) bend through a lens. 
D) disperse within a prism. 
E) reflect off a mirror.

Question 8

The primary purpose of an astronomical telescope is to magnify the images of distant objects,making them appear closer.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

Explain how adaptive optics can help produce a sharper image.

Accepted Answer

Adaptive optics distorts the mirror to c

Question 10

To reach the Cassegrain focus, a hole must be cut in the center of the primary mirror.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

A small telescope has ________ angular resolution when compared to a large telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) smaller 
B) larger 
C) the same 
D) chromatic 
E) brighter 
A) smaller 
B) larger 
C) the same 
D) chromatic 
E) brighter

Question 12

The ________ is a measure of the stability of the atmosphere, usually degraded by turbulentcurrents in the air.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ is a measure of the...

Question 13

In both reflecting and refracting telescopes, the main role that an eyepiece plays is to:

Accepted Answer

A) collect more light. 
B) turn the image right side up. 
C) correct the colors of the image. 
D) magnify the image. 
A) collect more light. 
B) turn the image right side up. 
C) correct the colors of the image. 
D) magnify the image.

Question 14

Galaxies look the same whether viewed in visible or X-ray wavelengths.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 15

Chromatic aberration affects refractor and reflector telescopes equally, unless they have verylong focal lengths.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

How much better resolution would a 60 mm objective lens have than your eye's 6 mm exitpupil?

Accepted Answer

A) 6 times 
B) 10 times 
C) 16 times 
D) 60 times 
E) 100 times 
A) 6 times 
B) 10 times 
C) 16 times 
D) 60 times 
E) 100 times

Question 17

Telescopes on Earth that use adaptive optics can have better angular resolution than theHubble Space Telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 18

What is true of radio telescopes?

Accepted Answer

A) They have poorer angular resolution than a refractor. 
B) They have better angular resolution than a reflector. 
C) They are the smallest, most compact telescopes. 
D) They can only be used above the atmosphere. 
E) They are most sensitive to the opacity of the ozone layer. 
A) They have poorer angular resolution than a refractor. 
B) They have better angular resolution than a reflector. 
C) They are the smallest, most compact telescopes. 
D) They can only be used above the atmosphere. 
E) They are most sensitive to the opacity of the ozone layer.

Question 19

The angular resolution of an 8-inch diameter telescope is ________ greater than that of a 2-inch diameter telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) 2 times 
B) 4 times 
C) 8 times 
D) 9 times 
E) 16 times 
A) 2 times 
B) 4 times 
C) 8 times 
D) 9 times 
E) 16 times

Question 20

What is the primary purpose of an astronomical telescope?

Accepted Answer

A) to magnify and make distant objects appear closer 
B) to separate light into its component colors 
C) to measure the intensity of light very accurately 
D) to access wavelengths that we cannot see visually 
E) to collect a lot of light and bring it to a focus 
A) to magnify and make distant objects appear closer 
B) to separate light into its component colors 
C) to measure the intensity of light very accurately 
D) to access wavelengths that we cannot see visually 
E) to collect a lot of light and bring it to a focus

Exam 5: Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

What is a CCD, and how does it work? Why has it replaced photographic plates?

The James Webb Space Telescope is designed to observe object primarily using ultravioletlight.

The James Webb Space Telescope is different than other space telescopes because it

What problem is adaptive optics designed to correct?

All radio telescopes are reflectors in design.

Radio telescopes image a universe much ________ in temperature than with visible light.

Diffraction is the tendency of light to:

The primary purpose of an astronomical telescope is to magnify the images of distant objects,making them appear closer.

Explain how adaptive optics can help produce a sharper image.

To reach the Cassegrain focus, a hole must be cut in the center of the primary mirror.

A small telescope has ________ angular resolution when compared to a large telescope.

The ________ is a measure of the stability of the atmosphere, usually degraded by turbulentcurrents in the air.

In both reflecting and refracting telescopes, the main role that an eyepiece plays is to:

Galaxies look the same whether viewed in visible or X-ray wavelengths.

Chromatic aberration affects refractor and reflector telescopes equally, unless they have verylong focal lengths.

How much better resolution would a 60 mm objective lens have than your eye's 6 mm exitpupil?

Telescopes on Earth that use adaptive optics can have better angular resolution than theHubble Space Telescope.

What is true of radio telescopes?

The angular resolution of an 8-inch diameter telescope is ________ greater than that of a 2-inch diameter telescope.

What is the primary purpose of an astronomical telescope?

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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