Universe
11th Edition
ISBN: 9781319039448
Author: Robert Geller, Roger Freedman, William J. Kaufmann
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
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Question
Chapter 6, Problem 19Q
To determine
To explain: The term diffraction and state the reason behind limiting the angular resolution of a telescope. Mention the other phenomenon which is often a more important restriction on angular resolution.
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Which of the following pairings of telescope diameter and observational wavelength would give the best resolution images of an object with a telescope? Explain why you chose the telescope and wavelength combination you did, and calculate the angular resolution you could achieve with it.
It would be best to observe with...
Option 1: a 10 m diameter optical telescope on the ground with λ= 550 nm
Option 2: a 2.4 m diameter optical telescope in space with λ=500 nm
Option 3: a 100 m radio telescope on the ground with λ=100 cm
You want to create a telescope with a resolving powe
of 0.100 arc seconds at a wavelength of 550 nm. Wha
diameter (in m) do you need?
If you want to increase the light gathering power by a
factor of 10, by what factor does the diameter need to
increase?
What would the new resolving power be (in arc
seconds)?
What is the resolving power of an 8-inch telescope (if necessary, you may assume λ=550
nm)? By the way, this is the aperture size of the telescopes we use in the outdoor labs. Will two
stars 1 arcsecond apart appear as two separate stars or one big blob? In other words can the two
stars be clearly resolved by this telescope?
Chapter 6 Solutions
Universe
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Ch. 6 - Prob. 11CCCh. 6 - Prob. 1QCh. 6 - Prob. 2QCh. 6 - Prob. 3QCh. 6 - Prob. 4QCh. 6 - Prob. 5QCh. 6 - Prob. 6QCh. 6 - Prob. 7QCh. 6 - Prob. 8QCh. 6 - Prob. 9QCh. 6 - Prob. 10QCh. 6 - Prob. 11QCh. 6 - Prob. 12QCh. 6 - Prob. 13QCh. 6 - Prob. 14QCh. 6 - Prob. 15QCh. 6 - Prob. 16QCh. 6 - Prob. 17QCh. 6 - Prob. 18QCh. 6 - Prob. 19QCh. 6 - Prob. 20QCh. 6 - Prob. 21QCh. 6 - Prob. 22QCh. 6 - Prob. 23QCh. 6 - Prob. 24QCh. 6 - Prob. 25QCh. 6 - Prob. 26QCh. 6 - Prob. 27QCh. 6 - Prob. 28QCh. 6 - Prob. 29QCh. 6 - Prob. 30QCh. 6 - Prob. 31QCh. 6 - Prob. 32QCh. 6 - Prob. 33QCh. 6 - Prob. 34QCh. 6 - Prob. 35QCh. 6 - Prob. 36QCh. 6 - Prob. 37QCh. 6 - Prob. 38QCh. 6 - Prob. 39QCh. 6 - Prob. 40QCh. 6 - Prob. 41QCh. 6 - Prob. 42QCh. 6 - Prob. 43QCh. 6 - Prob. 44QCh. 6 - Prob. 45Q
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Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- What kind of visible-light and infrared telescopes on the ground are astronomers planning for the future? Why are they building them on the ground and not in space?arrow_forwardThe James Webb Telescope is an important innovation in Astronomy and its implementation was first explained to the public during the timeline of our course this summer. Prepare an explanation which includes the following: What is the James Webb Telescope? Include a description of the tool itself and a brief history. What is the importance/significance of this tool for future astronomical studies?arrow_forwardWhen astronomers discuss the apertures of their telescopes, they say bigger is better. Explain why. a) A wider aperture can observe a significantly larger portion of the sky. b) A wider aperture makes a telescope easier to aim. c) A wider aperture allows a telescope to collect more light, so it can produce images with higher resolution. d) A wider aperture allows a telescope to collect more light, so it can detect fainter light sources.arrow_forward
- (It's actually astronomy) What if you had to scout for a site to build a new ground-based, optical telescope. What characteristics would an excellent site possess? Name at least two.arrow_forwardWhat is birefringence? Describe the differences in the behavior of the ordinary and extraordinary rays. In what environments is birefringence observed?arrow_forwardHow does the resolving power of the Mount Palomar 5-m telescope compare with that of the 2.4-m Hubble Space Telescope? Why does HST generally still outperform the ground based 5-m telescope?arrow_forward
- spy satellite orbiting 410 km above Earth is supposedly capable of counting individual people in a crowd in visual-wavelength images. Assume that the satellite's cameras operate at a wavelength of 550 nm. Assume an average person has a size of 0.6 m as seen from above. Estimate the minimum telescope diameter that the satellite must carry. (Hint: Use The small-angle formula angular diameter (arc seconds) 2.06 105 = linear diameter distance to convert linear size to angular size.)arrow_forwardHow does the resolving power of the Mount Palomar 5-m telescope compare with that of the 2.4-m Hubble Space Telescope? AMount Palomar dHubble Space Telescope Why does HST generally still outperform the ground-based 5-m telescope? The resolving power of the Mount Palomar 5-m telescope has a higher value than that of HST, and telescopes with higher values for resolving power can not distinguish objects as well as telescopes with lower values for resolving power. Earth's atmosphere affects visibility for the Mount Palomar 5-m telescope and limits resolving power to about 0.5 seconds of arc. HST is not affected by distortion due to the atmosphere. The resolving power of the Mount Palomar 5-m telescope has a lower value than that of HST, and telescopes with lower values for resolving power can not distinguish objects as well as telescopes with higher values for resolving power. HST is in orbit around the Earth, and so it is closer to the stars than the Mount Palomar 5-m telescope. By being…arrow_forward
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