Question 1

Astronomers usually study distant objects by looking at them directly through the eyepiece of a telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 2

Cameras that use adaptive optics provide higher spatial resolution images primarily because:

Accepted Answer

A)  they operate above the Earth's atmosphere 
B)  they capture infrared light,which has a longer wavelength than visible light 
C)  deformable mirrors are used to correct the blurring due to the Earth's atmosphere 
D)  composite lenses correct for chromatic aberration 
A)  they operate above the Earth's atmosphere 
B)  they capture infrared light,which has a longer wavelength than visible light 
C)  deformable mirrors are used to correct the blurring due to the Earth's atmosphere 
D)  composite lenses correct for chromatic aberration

Question 3

The energy of a photon is inversely proportional to its wavelength.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 4

How do the wavelength and frequency of red light compare to the wavelength and frequency of blue light?

Accepted Answer

A)  Red light has a longer wavelength and higher frequency than those of blue light. 
B)  Red light has a longer wavelength and lower frequency than those of blue light. 
C)  Red light has a shorter wavelength and higher frequency than those of blue light. 
D)  Red light has a shorter wavelength and lower frequency than those of blue light. 
A)  Red light has a longer wavelength and higher frequency than those of blue light. 
B)  Red light has a longer wavelength and lower frequency than those of blue light. 
C)  Red light has a shorter wavelength and higher frequency than those of blue light. 
D)  Red light has a shorter wavelength and lower frequency than those of blue light.

Question 5

When we determine the angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes using the formula $\varTheta\varpropto\lambda$/D,the variable D stands for the:

Accepted Answer

A)  diameter of the telescopes 
B)  separation between the telescopes 
C)  number of telescopes 
D)  focal length of the telescopes 
A)  diameter of the telescopes 
B)  separation between the telescopes 
C)  number of telescopes 
D)  focal length of the telescopes

Question 6

What is the angular resolution of a 1-m,ground-based,optical telescope that observes at a wavelength of 600 nm compared to that of a 300-ft,single dish radio telescope that observes at a wavelength of 21 cm?

Accepted Answer

The angular resolution of the 1-m,ground

Question 7

The image below shows the Very Large Array in New Mexico.Radio telescopes are often used in interferometric arrays to increase light gathering power.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Before CCDs were invented,what was the device most commonly used for imaging with optical telescopes?

Accepted Answer

A)  Polaroid cameras 
B)  Photographic glass plates 
C)  High-speed film 
D)  Video cameras 
A)  Polaroid cameras 
B)  Photographic glass plates 
C)  High-speed film 
D)  Video cameras

Question 9

Using the figure below,which type of electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of approximately 10−5 m?

Accepted Answer

A)  X-rays 
B)  Infrared 
C)  Microwave 
D)  Radio 
A)  X-rays 
B)  Infrared 
C)  Microwave 
D)  Radio

Question 10

Which telescope would collect 100 times more light than a 1-m telescope?

Accepted Answer

A)  100-m telescope 
B)  50-m telescope 
C)  30-m telescope 
D)  10-m telescope 
A)  100-m telescope 
B)  50-m telescope 
C)  30-m telescope 
D)  10-m telescope

Question 11

Ultraviolet radiation is hard to observe primarily because:

Accepted Answer

A)  the Earth's atmosphere easily absorbs it 
B)  no space-based telescopes operate at ultraviolet wavelengths 
C)  only the lowest mass stars emit ultraviolet light 
D)  very few objects emit at ultraviolet wavelengths 
A)  the Earth's atmosphere easily absorbs it 
B)  no space-based telescopes operate at ultraviolet wavelengths 
C)  only the lowest mass stars emit ultraviolet light 
D)  very few objects emit at ultraviolet wavelengths

Question 12

The speed of light in a vacuum is __________.

Accepted Answer

A)  300,000 m/s 
B)  300,000 mph 
C)  300,000 km/s 
D)  300,000,000 mph 
E)  infinite 
A)  300,000 m/s 
B)  300,000 mph 
C)  300,000 km/s 
D)  300,000,000 mph 
E)  infinite

Question 13

Explain how adaptive optics help compensate for atmospheric seeing.

Accepted Answer

Slight perturbances in the atmosphere ca

Question 14

Which of the following causes the biggest problem in detecting infrared photons from an astronomical object?

Accepted Answer

A)  Smog 
B)  Carbon dioxide 
C)  Water vapor 
D)  Light pollution 
A)  Smog 
B)  Carbon dioxide 
C)  Water vapor 
D)  Light pollution

Question 15

A red photon has a wavelength of 650 nm.An ultraviolet photon has a wavelength of 250 nm.The energy of an ultraviolet photon is __________ than a red photon.

Accepted Answer

A)  2.6 times larger 
B)  6.8 times larger 
C)  2.6 times smaller 
D)  6.8 times smaller 
A)  2.6 times larger 
B)  6.8 times larger 
C)  2.6 times smaller 
D)  6.8 times smaller

Question 16

Which of the following photons carry the least amount of energy?

Accepted Answer

A)  A blue photon of the visible spectrum,whose wavelength is 450 nm 
B)  An infrared photon,whose wavelength is 10-5 m 
C)  A red photon in the visible spectrum,whose wavelength is 700 nm 
D)  A microwave photon,whose wavelength is 10-2 m 
A)  A blue photon of the visible spectrum,whose wavelength is 450 nm 
B)  An infrared photon,whose wavelength is 10-5 m 
C)  A red photon in the visible spectrum,whose wavelength is 700 nm 
D)  A microwave photon,whose wavelength is 10-2 m

Question 17

Why is an iron atom a different element than a sodium atom?

Accepted Answer

A)  A sodium atom has fewer neutrons in its nucleus than an iron atom. 
B)  An iron atom has more protons in its nucleus than a sodium atom. 
C)  A sodium atom is bigger than an iron atom. 
D)  All of the above are true. 
A)  A sodium atom has fewer neutrons in its nucleus than an iron atom. 
B)  An iron atom has more protons in its nucleus than a sodium atom. 
C)  A sodium atom is bigger than an iron atom. 
D)  All of the above are true.

Question 18

The SETI project's Allen Telescope Array will have 350 radio dishes,each with an individual diameter of 6 m,spread out over a circle whose diameter is 1 km.What would this array's spatial resolution be when it operates at 6,000 MHz?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 arcsec 
B)  0.10 arcsec 
C)  10 arcmin 
D)  1.0 arcmin 
A)  10 arcsec 
B)  0.10 arcsec 
C)  10 arcmin 
D)  1.0 arcmin

Question 19

The 305-m Arecibo radio telescope has a resolution that is no better than that of the human eye.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Compare and contrast the wavelengths,frequencies,speeds,and energies of red and blue photons.

Accepted Answer

Red and blue photons both trav

Astronomers usually study distant objects by looking at them directly through the eyepiece of a telescope.

Cameras that use adaptive optics provide higher spatial resolution images primarily because:

The energy of a photon is inversely proportional to its wavelength.

How do the wavelength and frequency of red light compare to the wavelength and frequency of blue light?

When we determine the angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes using the formula $\varTheta\varpropto\lambda$ /D,the variable D stands for the:

What is the angular resolution of a 1-m,ground-based,optical telescope that observes at a wavelength of 600 nm compared to that of a 300-ft,single dish radio telescope that observes at a wavelength of 21 cm?

The image below shows the Very Large Array in New Mexico.Radio telescopes are often used in interferometric arrays to increase light gathering power.

Before CCDs were invented,what was the device most commonly used for imaging with optical telescopes?

Using the figure below,which type of electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of approximately 10⁻⁵ m?

Which telescope would collect 100 times more light than a 1-m telescope?

Ultraviolet radiation is hard to observe primarily because:

The speed of light in a vacuum is __________.

Explain how adaptive optics help compensate for atmospheric seeing.

Which of the following causes the biggest problem in detecting infrared photons from an astronomical object?

A red photon has a wavelength of 650 nm.An ultraviolet photon has a wavelength of 250 nm.The energy of an ultraviolet photon is __________ than a red photon.

Which of the following photons carry the least amount of energy?

Why is an iron atom a different element than a sodium atom?

The SETI project's Allen Telescope Array will have 350 radio dishes,each with an individual diameter of 6 m,spread out over a circle whose diameter is 1 km.What would this array's spatial resolution be when it operates at 6,000 MHz?

The 305-m Arecibo radio telescope has a resolution that is no better than that of the human eye.

Compare and contrast the wavelengths,frequencies,speeds,and energies of red and blue photons.

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: The Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters

Exam 4: Light and Telescopes

Astronomers usually study distant objects by looking at them directly through the eyepiece of a telescope.

Cameras that use adaptive optics provide higher spatial resolution images primarily because:

The energy of a photon is inversely proportional to its wavelength.

How do the wavelength and frequency of red light compare to the wavelength and frequency of blue light?

When we determine the angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes using the formula Θ∝λ\varTheta\varpropto\lambdaΘ∝λ /D,the variable D stands for the:

What is the angular resolution of a 1-m,ground-based,optical telescope that observes at a wavelength of 600 nm compared to that of a 300-ft,single dish radio telescope that observes at a wavelength of 21 cm?

The image below shows the Very Large Array in New Mexico.Radio telescopes are often used in interferometric arrays to increase light gathering power.

Before CCDs were invented,what was the device most commonly used for imaging with optical telescopes?

Using the figure below,which type of electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of approximately 10−5 m?

Which telescope would collect 100 times more light than a 1-m telescope?

Ultraviolet radiation is hard to observe primarily because:

The speed of light in a vacuum is __________.

Explain how adaptive optics help compensate for atmospheric seeing.

Which of the following causes the biggest problem in detecting infrared photons from an astronomical object?

A red photon has a wavelength of 650 nm.An ultraviolet photon has a wavelength of 250 nm.The energy of an ultraviolet photon is __________ than a red photon.

Which of the following photons carry the least amount of energy?

Why is an iron atom a different element than a sodium atom?

The SETI project's Allen Telescope Array will have 350 radio dishes,each with an individual diameter of 6 m,spread out over a circle whose diameter is 1 km.What would this array's spatial resolution be when it operates at 6,000 MHz?

The 305-m Arecibo radio telescope has a resolution that is no better than that of the human eye.

Compare and contrast the wavelengths,frequencies,speeds,and energies of red and blue photons.

Our Place in the Universe

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth

Laws of Motion

The Formation of Stars and Planets

Terrestrial Worlds in the Inner Solar System

Atmospheres of Venus, Earth, and Mars

The Giant Planets

Small Bodies of the Solar System

Measuring the Stars

Our Star: The Sun

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

The Expansion of Space

The Realm of the Galaxies

Our Galaxy: The Milky Way

Modern Cosmology and the Origin of Structure

Life in the Universe

Filters

When we determine the angular resolution of an interferometric array of radio telescopes using the formula $\varTheta\varpropto\lambda$ /D,the variable D stands for the:

Using the figure below,which type of electromagnetic wave has a wavelength of approximately 10⁻⁵ m?