Question 1

What problem do refractor telescopes have that reflectors don't?

Accepted Answer

A)  diffraction limited resolution 
B)  light loss from secondary elements 
C)  chromatic aberration 
D)  spherical aberration 
E)  bad seeing 
A)  diffraction limited resolution 
B)  light loss from secondary elements 
C)  chromatic aberration 
D)  spherical aberration 
E)  bad seeing

Question 2

Compared to a 5-inch prime focus reflector,a 5-inch Newtonian reflector will:

Accepted Answer

A)  have more light gathering power. 
B)  have the same light gathering power. 
C)  be easier to build. 
D)  will have more chromatic aberration. 
E)  will have a larger hole in the center of its mirror. 
A)  have more light gathering power. 
B)  have the same light gathering power. 
C)  be easier to build. 
D)  will have more chromatic aberration. 
E)  will have a larger hole in the center of its mirror.

Question 3

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 4

What is "seeing"?

Accepted Answer

A)  a measure of the quality of the telescope's optics 
B)  a measure of the transparency of the scope's objective lens 
C)  a measurement of the sharpness of vision of the astronomer's eyes 
D)  a measurement of the image quality due to air stability 
E)  a measurement of clarity and absence of clouds 
A)  a measure of the quality of the telescope's optics 
B)  a measure of the transparency of the scope's objective lens 
C)  a measurement of the sharpness of vision of the astronomer's eyes 
D)  a measurement of the image quality due to air stability 
E)  a measurement of clarity and absence of clouds

Question 5

Which type of telescope has the simplest light path?

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 6

The Arecibo radio telescope is laid out like which optical telescope design?

Accepted Answer

A)  prime focus reflector 
B)  Newtonian reflector 
C)  Cassegrain reflector 
D)  Coude reflector 
E)  grazing incidence reflector 
A)  prime focus reflector 
B)  Newtonian reflector 
C)  Cassegrain reflector 
D)  Coude reflector 
E)  grazing incidence reflector

Question 7

You are a novice telescope builder.Should you attempt a 6" Newtonian or Cassegrain reflector first? Why?

Accepted Answer

The Newtonian uses only a curved main mi

Question 8

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

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 9

This design combines the radiation from two different telescopes to greatly enhance resolution via computer synthesis.

Accepted Answer

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

Question 10

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 11

You could more easily resolve a close double star with a blue filter than with a red one.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

Why must radio dishes be built so large?

Accepted Answer

Radio waves carry little energ

Question 13

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 14

What are two advantages of large scopes over smaller ones?

Accepted Answer

A)  Large scopes have a larger field of view and sharper focus. 
B)  Large scopes are not subject to atmospheric turbulence and opacity like smaller ones. 
C)  Large scopes are easier to mount and control than small ones. 
D)  Large telescope have more light grasp and better resolution. 
E)  Large telescopes give higher magnification and are easier to build. 
A)  Large scopes have a larger field of view and sharper focus. 
B)  Large scopes are not subject to atmospheric turbulence and opacity like smaller ones. 
C)  Large scopes are easier to mount and control than small ones. 
D)  Large telescope have more light grasp and better resolution. 
E)  Large telescopes give higher magnification and are easier to build.

Question 15

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 16

Which reflector telescope would be the easiest to construct,and why?

Accepted Answer

The prime focus refl

Question 17

How does the placement of the eyepiece with Newtonian and Cassegrain reflectors differ?

Accepted Answer

In the Newtonian,the eyepiece

Question 18

It is diffraction that limits the ________ of a telescope's objective.

Accepted Answer

A)  magnification 
B)  resolution 
C)  light grasp 
D)  wavelengths 
E)  frequencies 
A)  magnification 
B)  resolution 
C)  light grasp 
D)  wavelengths 
E)  frequencies

Question 19

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 20

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

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Exam 5: Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy

What problem do refractor telescopes have that reflectors don't?

Compared to a 5-inch prime focus reflector,a 5-inch Newtonian reflector will:

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

What is "seeing"?

Which type of telescope has the simplest light path?

The Arecibo radio telescope is laid out like which optical telescope design?

You are a novice telescope builder.Should you attempt a 6" Newtonian or Cassegrain reflector first? Why?

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

This design combines the radiation from two different telescopes to greatly enhance resolution via computer synthesis.

Radio dishes are large in order to:

You could more easily resolve a close double star with a blue filter than with a red one.

Why must radio dishes be built so large?

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

What are two advantages of large scopes over smaller ones?

What problem is adaptive optics designed to correct?

Which reflector telescope would be the easiest to construct,and why?

How does the placement of the eyepiece with Newtonian and Cassegrain reflectors differ?

It is diffraction that limits the ________ of a telescope's objective.

The primary purpose of a telescope is to:

A convex lens is thinnest in its center; it refracts light to a focus,while a convex mirror reflects 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: 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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