Question 1

The largest optical telescope ever constructed was a refracting telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

How is the resolving power of a telescope defined?

Accepted Answer

A) It is a measure of the minimum angular separation that can be seen with the telescope. 
B) It is a measure of the amount of light that the telescope can gather in one second. 
C) It is the separation between the objective and the image. 
D) It is a measure of how blurry objects appear in the telescope. 
A) It is a measure of the minimum angular separation that can be seen with the telescope. 
B) It is a measure of the amount of light that the telescope can gather in one second. 
C) It is the separation between the objective and the image. 
D) It is a measure of how blurry objects appear in the telescope.

Question 3

The ____________________ is a measure of the finest detail that can be seen in an image.

Accepted Answer

resolution/resolving

Question 4

You point your backyard reflecting telescope at the star Vega.Where does Vega's light go?

Accepted Answer

A) From the primary mirror, to the secondary mirror, to the eyepiece. 
B) From the primary mirror to the eyepiece. 
C) Through the primary lens, to the secondary mirror, to the eyepiece. 
D) Through the primary lens, through the secondary lens, to the eyepiece. 
A) From the primary mirror, to the secondary mirror, to the eyepiece. 
B) From the primary mirror to the eyepiece. 
C) Through the primary lens, to the secondary mirror, to the eyepiece. 
D) Through the primary lens, through the secondary lens, to the eyepiece.

Question 5

Which of the following types of light has wavelengths that are shorter than the wavelengths of visible light?

Accepted Answer

A) gamma rays 
B) radio waves 
C) infrared radiation 
D) microwaves 
A) gamma rays 
B) radio waves 
C) infrared radiation 
D) microwaves

Question 6

The diagram below illustrates the layout and light path of a reflecting telescope of the ____________________ design.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The diagram below illustrates the layout and...

Question 7

The sidereal drive on a telescope mounting must turn the telescope eastward about the polar axis.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Why must telescopes that observe in the far infrared be cooled?

Accepted Answer

Telescopes that observe in the far infra

Question 9

In a reflecting telescope,the objective is a mirror.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 10

Radio telescopes are affected by interference from human-made radio devices.What is the equivalent problem for optical telescopes?

Accepted Answer

A) light pollution 
B) seeing 
C) clouds and water vapour 
D) atmospheric turbulence 
A) light pollution 
B) seeing 
C) clouds and water vapour 
D) atmospheric turbulence

Question 11

List the advantages the Hubble Space Telescope has over ground-based telescopes.

Accepted Answer

The answer of List the advantages the Hubble Space Telescope...

Question 12

What is the relationship between colour and wavelength for light?

Accepted Answer

A) Wavelength increases from blue light to red light. 
B) Wavelength decreases from blue light to red light. 
C) All colours of light have the same wavelength. 
D) Wavelength depends on intensity, not colour. 
A) Wavelength increases from blue light to red light. 
B) Wavelength decreases from blue light to red light. 
C) All colours of light have the same wavelength. 
D) Wavelength depends on intensity, not colour.

Question 13

An astronomy graduate student takes a long-exposure picture with a CCD camera but forgets to turn on the telescope tracking.What will the picture look like?

Accepted Answer

A) The picture will be blank. 
B) The picture will be blurry. 
C) The picture will have long, thin star trails. 
D) The picture will have many false colours. 
A) The picture will be blank. 
B) The picture will be blurry. 
C) The picture will have long, thin star trails. 
D) The picture will have many false colours.

Question 14

What is the longest wavelength of light that can be seen with the human eye?

Accepted Answer

A) 400 nanometres 
B) 700 nanometres 
C) 7000 nanometres 
D) 3×10⁸ m 
A) 400 nanometres 
B) 700 nanometres 
C) 7000 nanometres 
D) 3×10⁸ m

Question 15

What type of primary is found in a reflecting telescope?

Accepted Answer

A) prism 
B) mirror 
C) lens 
D) diffraction grating 
A) prism 
B) mirror 
C) lens 
D) diffraction grating

Question 16

Why might astronomers some day establish an observatory on the Moon? Why would radio astronomers prefer the far side of the Moon for their observatory?

Accepted Answer

Astronomers might some day establish an

Question 17

What is the main reason for positioning many radio telescopes across a large area and combining the signals?

Accepted Answer

A) to provide a backup system if one or more of the telescopes go down 
B) to produce higher resolution images 
C) to prevent interference between signals from the separate telescopes 
D) to compensate for the motion of objects in the sky as a result of the Earth's rotation 
A) to provide a backup system if one or more of the telescopes go down 
B) to produce higher resolution images 
C) to prevent interference between signals from the separate telescopes 
D) to compensate for the motion of objects in the sky as a result of the Earth's rotation

Question 18

Which of the following best explains the concept of atmospheric windows?

Accepted Answer

A) Holes in the Earth's atmosphere allow ultraviolet radiation to reach the North and South poles. 
B) X-ray radiation from space can see through the atmosphere to observe activities on the ground. 
C) Only certain wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from space reach the Earth's surface. 
D) The Earth's atmosphere can be "closed" or "open" to electromagnetic radiation, depending on the weather. 
A) Holes in the Earth's atmosphere allow ultraviolet radiation to reach the North and South poles. 
B) X-ray radiation from space can see through the atmosphere to observe activities on the ground. 
C) Only certain wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation from space reach the Earth's surface. 
D) The Earth's atmosphere can be "closed" or "open" to electromagnetic radiation, depending on the weather.

Question 19

What happens to a telescope's light-gathering power and resolving power when you increase its diameter?

Accepted Answer

A) Its light-gathering power and resolving power both increase. 
B) Its light-gathering power increases and its resolving power decreases. 
C) Its light-gathering power decreases and its resolving power increases. 
D) Its light-gathering power and resolving power both decrease. 
A) Its light-gathering power and resolving power both increase. 
B) Its light-gathering power increases and its resolving power decreases. 
C) Its light-gathering power decreases and its resolving power increases. 
D) Its light-gathering power and resolving power both decrease.

Question 20

Why are nearly all recently built astronomical telescopes reflectors instead of refractors?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Why are nearly all recently built astronomical...

The largest optical telescope ever constructed was a refracting telescope.

How is the resolving power of a telescope defined?

The ____________________ is a measure of the finest detail that can be seen in an image.

You point your backyard reflecting telescope at the star Vega.Where does Vega's light go?

Which of the following types of light has wavelengths that are shorter than the wavelengths of visible light?

The diagram below illustrates the layout and light path of a reflecting telescope of the ____________________ design.

The sidereal drive on a telescope mounting must turn the telescope eastward about the polar axis.

Why must telescopes that observe in the far infrared be cooled?

In a reflecting telescope,the objective is a mirror.

Radio telescopes are affected by interference from human-made radio devices.What is the equivalent problem for optical telescopes?

List the advantages the Hubble Space Telescope has over ground-based telescopes.

What is the relationship between colour and wavelength for light?

An astronomy graduate student takes a long-exposure picture with a CCD camera but forgets to turn on the telescope tracking.What will the picture look like?

What is the longest wavelength of light that can be seen with the human eye?

What type of primary is found in a reflecting telescope?

Why might astronomers some day establish an observatory on the Moon? Why would radio astronomers prefer the far side of the Moon for their observatory?

What is the main reason for positioning many radio telescopes across a large area and combining the signals?

Which of the following best explains the concept of atmospheric windows?

What happens to a telescope's light-gathering power and resolving power when you increase its diameter?

Why are nearly all recently built astronomical telescopes reflectors instead of refractors?

The Scale of the Cosmos

User's Guide to the Sky

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Sun Light and Sun Atoms

The Family of Stars

The Structure and Formation of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology in the 21st Century

The Origin of the Solar System

Comparative Planetology of the Terrestrial Planets

Comparative Planetology of the Jovian Planets

Life on Other Worlds

Filters

Exam 4: Astronomical Telescopes and Instruments

The largest optical telescope ever constructed was a refracting telescope.

How is the resolving power of a telescope defined?

The ____________________ is a measure of the finest detail that can be seen in an image.

You point your backyard reflecting telescope at the star Vega.Where does Vega's light go?

Which of the following types of light has wavelengths that are shorter than the wavelengths of visible light?

The diagram below illustrates the layout and light path of a reflecting telescope of the ____________________ design.

The sidereal drive on a telescope mounting must turn the telescope eastward about the polar axis.

Why must telescopes that observe in the far infrared be cooled?

In a reflecting telescope,the objective is a mirror.

Radio telescopes are affected by interference from human-made radio devices.What is the equivalent problem for optical telescopes?

List the advantages the Hubble Space Telescope has over ground-based telescopes.

What is the relationship between colour and wavelength for light?

An astronomy graduate student takes a long-exposure picture with a CCD camera but forgets to turn on the telescope tracking.What will the picture look like?

What is the longest wavelength of light that can be seen with the human eye?

What type of primary is found in a reflecting telescope?

Why might astronomers some day establish an observatory on the Moon? Why would radio astronomers prefer the far side of the Moon for their observatory?

What is the main reason for positioning many radio telescopes across a large area and combining the signals?

Which of the following best explains the concept of atmospheric windows?

What happens to a telescope's light-gathering power and resolving power when you increase its diameter?

Why are nearly all recently built astronomical telescopes reflectors instead of refractors?

The Scale of the Cosmos

User's Guide to the Sky

The Origin of Modern Astronomy

Sun Light and Sun Atoms

The Family of Stars

The Structure and Formation of Stars

The Deaths of Stars

The Milky Way Galaxy

Galaxies

Cosmology in the 21st Century

The Origin of the Solar System

Comparative Planetology of the Terrestrial Planets

Comparative Planetology of the Jovian Planets

Life on Other Worlds

Filters