Question 1

The simplest reflecting telescope design, by Isaac Newton, uses only a primary mirror.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

The Chandra X-ray Observatory must use:

Accepted Answer

A) a lens of fluorite. 
B) grazing incidence optics to focus the short wavelengths. 
C) a Newtonian reflecting design to avoid chromatic aberration. 
D) X-ray photographic plates instead of CCDs for imaging. 
E) a Schmidt corrector plate to avoid spherical aberration. 
A) a lens of fluorite. 
B) grazing incidence optics to focus the short wavelengths. 
C) a Newtonian reflecting design to avoid chromatic aberration. 
D) X-ray photographic plates instead of CCDs for imaging. 
E) a Schmidt corrector plate to avoid spherical aberration.

Question 3

Radio dishes are large in order to:

Accepted Answer

A) attract funding from NASA and the NSF. 
B) give greater magnification. 
C) increase their angular resolution and collect the very weak radio photons. 
D) increase the range of waves they can collect. 
E) detect shorter waves than optical telescopes for superior resolution. 
A) attract funding from NASA and the NSF. 
B) give greater magnification. 
C) increase their angular resolution and collect the very weak radio photons. 
D) increase the range of waves they can collect. 
E) detect shorter waves than optical telescopes for superior resolution.

Question 4

What problem does adaptive optics correct?

Accepted Answer

A) defects in the optics of the telescope, such as the original Hubble mirror 
B) the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere to some wavelengths of light 
C) the light pollution of urban areas 
D) turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere which creates twinkling 
E) chromatic aberration due to use of only a single lens objective 
A) defects in the optics of the telescope, such as the original Hubble mirror 
B) the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere to some wavelengths of light 
C) the light pollution of urban areas 
D) turbulence in the Earth's atmosphere which creates twinkling 
E) chromatic aberration due to use of only a single lens objective

Question 5

Why is the image seen in astronomical telescope eyepieces inverted?

Accepted Answer

As the eyepiece must lie behin

Question 6

What type of telescope is the Subaru telescope (shown below)?

Accepted Answer

A) prime focus reflector 
B) single lens refractor 
C) achromatic refractor 
D) Newtonian reflector 
E) Cassegrain reflector 
A) prime focus reflector 
B) single lens refractor 
C) achromatic refractor 
D) Newtonian reflector 
E) Cassegrain reflector

Question 7

The primary purpose of a telescope is to:

Accepted Answer

A) collect a large amount of light and bring it into focus. 
B) magnify distant objects. 
C) separate light into its component wavelengths. 
D) make distant objects appear nearby. 
E) measure the brightness of stars very accurately. 
A) collect a large amount of light and bring it into focus. 
B) magnify distant objects. 
C) separate light into its component wavelengths. 
D) make distant objects appear nearby. 
E) measure the brightness of stars very accurately.

Question 8

The name of the Infrared Orbiting Observatory launched in 2003 is the:

Accepted Answer

A) Hubble Space Telescope. 
B) Compton Observatory. 
C) Spitzer Space Telescope. 
D) Chandra Orbiting Telescope. 
E) Newton Imaging System. 
A) Hubble Space Telescope. 
B) Compton Observatory. 
C) Spitzer Space Telescope. 
D) Chandra Orbiting Telescope. 
E) Newton Imaging System.

Question 9

What is the light-gathering power of an 8-inch telescope compared to a 4-inch telescope?

Accepted Answer

A) 2 times better 
B) 4 times better 
C) 8 times better 
D) 16 times better 
E) 32 times better 
A) 2 times better 
B) 4 times better 
C) 8 times better 
D) 16 times better 
E) 32 times better

Question 10

A mountain top is an especially good site for infrared telescopes since:

Accepted Answer

A) there you are closer to celestial objects. 
B) you are above most of the carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere. 
C) the cold weather helps the sensitivity of infrared detectors. 
D) less air above means better seeing in many cases. 
E) All of the above are factors. 
A) there you are closer to celestial objects. 
B) you are above most of the carbon dioxide and water vapor in the atmosphere. 
C) the cold weather helps the sensitivity of infrared detectors. 
D) less air above means better seeing in many cases. 
E) All of the above are factors.

Question 11

A convex lens is thinnest in its center; it refracts light to a focus, while a convex mirrorreflects it to the focus instead.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

The simplest reflecting telescope design, by Isaac Newton, uses only a primary mirror.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory must use:

Radio dishes are large in order to:

What problem does adaptive optics correct?

Why is the image seen in astronomical telescope eyepieces inverted?

What type of telescope is the Subaru telescope (shown below)?

The primary purpose of a telescope is to:

The name of the Infrared Orbiting Observatory launched in 2003 is the:

What is the light-gathering power of an 8-inch telescope compared to a 4-inch telescope?

A mountain top is an especially good site for infrared telescopes since:

A convex lens is thinnest in its center; it refracts light to a focus, while a convex mirrorreflects it to the focus instead.

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

Filters

Exam 5: Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The simplest reflecting telescope design, by Isaac Newton, uses only a primary mirror.

The Chandra X-ray Observatory must use:

Radio dishes are large in order to:

What problem does adaptive optics correct?

Why is the image seen in astronomical telescope eyepieces inverted?

What type of telescope is the Subaru telescope (shown below)?

The primary purpose of a telescope is to:

The name of the Infrared Orbiting Observatory launched in 2003 is the:

What is the light-gathering power of an 8-inch telescope compared to a 4-inch telescope?

A mountain top is an especially good site for infrared telescopes since:

A convex lens is thinnest in its center; it refracts light to a focus, while a convex mirrorreflects it to the focus instead.

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

Filters