Question 1

The Chandra X-ray telescope 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 film 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 film instead of CCDs for imaging. 
E)  a Schmidt corrector plate to avoid spherical aberration.

Question 2

Why is UV astronomy difficult to do from the ground?

Accepted Answer

The atmosphere blocks most of the UV wav

Question 3

All radio telescopes are reflectors in design.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

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 5

Which design is subject to chromatic aberration?

Accepted Answer

A)  refractor 
B)  prime focus reflector 
C)  Newtonian reflector 
D)  Cassegrain reflector 
E)  Gregorian reflector 
A)  refractor 
B)  prime focus reflector 
C)  Newtonian reflector 
D)  Cassegrain reflector 
E)  Gregorian reflector

Question 6

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 7

Contrast image formation in reflectors and refractors.

Accepted Answer

Reflectors use a curved mirror

Question 8

Why is the angular resolution of radio telescopes much worse than that of smaller optical telescopes?

Accepted Answer

Radio waves are much longer in

Question 9

The light-gathering power of a telescope varies with the ________ of the diameter of the lens or mirror.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The light-gathering power of a telescope varies...

Question 10

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

You are going to construct a new optical observatory,and money is no object.Other than putting it into space,what factors will affect your decision for its location on Earth?

Accepted Answer

Closer to the equator will give you a vi

Question 12

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 13

How do radio interferometers greatly enhance resolution in radio wavelengths?

Accepted Answer

Hooking two or more radio dish

Question 14

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 15

One advantage of the Hubble Space telescope over ground based ones is that:

Accepted Answer

A)  it is larger than any Earth-based scopes. 
B)  it can better focus X-ray images. 
C)  it can make better observations of the ozone layer. 
D)  its adaptive optics controls atmospheric blurring better. 
E)  in orbit, it can operate close to its diffraction limit at visible wavelengths. 
A)  it is larger than any Earth-based scopes. 
B)  it can better focus X-ray images. 
C)  it can make better observations of the ozone layer. 
D)  its adaptive optics controls atmospheric blurring better. 
E)  in orbit, it can operate close to its diffraction limit at visible wavelengths.

Question 16

The Schmidt corrector plate largely cures spherical aberration,giving a wide,flat field of view.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

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

Accepted Answer

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

Question 18

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 19

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 20

To a large degree,the ________ has replaced photographic film for astronomical imaging.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To a large degree,the ________ has replaced...

Exam 5: Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

The Chandra X-ray telescope must use:

Why is UV astronomy difficult to do from the ground?

All radio telescopes are reflectors in design.

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

Which design is subject to chromatic aberration?

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

Contrast image formation in reflectors and refractors.

Why is the angular resolution of radio telescopes much worse than that of smaller optical telescopes?

The light-gathering power of a telescope varies with the ________ of the diameter of the lens or mirror.

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

You are going to construct a new optical observatory,and money is no object.Other than putting it into space,what factors will affect your decision for its location on Earth?

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

How do radio interferometers greatly enhance resolution in radio wavelengths?

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

One advantage of the Hubble Space telescope over ground based ones is that:

The Schmidt corrector plate largely cures spherical aberration,giving a wide,flat field of view.

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

What is the resolution of a telescope?

What problem does adaptive optics correct?

To a large degree,the ________ has replaced photographic film for astronomical imaging.

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: Earth's 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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