Exam 6: Light and Telescopes

Space-based telescopes carrying long-wavelength infrared detectors must carry coolant such as liquid helium to chill their optics to near absolute zero temperature.

All telescopes must be operated on site by an astronomer or a technician.

What are the advantages of putting telescopes in space?  Provide specific examples of three current space telescopes.

Why are reflecting telescopes cheaper to build than refracting telescopes?

The larger the diameter of a telescope, the more light it will collect.

Astronomers no longer build large observatories in populated areas in order to avoid _______________.

What telescope instrument is used to counter the eastward rotation of Earth?

Refracting and reflecting telescopes form an image that is small, inverted, and difficult to observe directly; therefore, an eyepiece is normally used to magnify the image and make it convenient to view.

Large doses of _______________ light can cause sunburn and skin cancers.

What is a major selecting factor for astronomers looking to place a telescope atop a mountain?

Diffraction, optical quality, and atmospheric conditions all contribute to the limitations of what power of a telescope?

The energy a photon carries is inversely proportional to __________.

Explain interferometry and provide an example of an observatory that uses this technique.

Which power of a telescope reveals fine details within an image?

Optical telescopes are intended for the study of _______________ light.

Why have so many optical telescopes been built atop Mauna Kea, Hawai'i?

Which is the longest surviving, and most successful, space telescope?

Resolving power is measured in nanometers.

What is the shape of the segmented mirrors of twin Keck Observatory telescopes, Gran Telescopio Canarias, and the James Webb Space Telescope (scheduled to be launched in late 2018)?