Universe
11th Edition
ISBN: 9781319039448
Author: Robert Geller, Roger Freedman, William J. Kaufmann
Publisher: W. H. Freeman
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Chapter 6, Problem 21Q
To determine
The reason due to which combining the light from two or more optical telescopes can give a very improved angular resolution.
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The large space telescope that has been placed into an Earth orbit has an aperture diameter of 1.4
meters. What angular resolution will this telescope achieve for visible light of wavelength 2 = 6.5 x
10-7 m? Write your answer in "seconds of arc".
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Both the Keck Telescope and
Hubble Space Telescope (HST)
observe visible light. Given a
typical visible light wavelength of
500 nm, and the diameters of 10 m
for Keck and 2.4 m for Hubble,
which telescope do you think
would have better angular
resolution? Based on the equation
for angular resolution, what is the
resolution of Keck at 500 nm? Of
HST?
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What is the limit of resolution for a telescope lens with a diameter of 120 cm when it observes a star at a distance of 4 light-years? Use the wavelength of l = 550 nm in your calculations.
Chapter 6 Solutions
Universe
Ch. 6 - Prob. 1CCCh. 6 - Prob. 2CCCh. 6 - Prob. 3CCCh. 6 - Prob. 4CCCh. 6 - Prob. 5CCCh. 6 - Prob. 6CCCh. 6 - Prob. 7CCCh. 6 - Prob. 8CCCh. 6 - Prob. 9CCCh. 6 - Prob. 10CC
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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- When astronomers discuss the apertures of their telescopes, they say bigger is better. Explain why.arrow_forwardThe dean of a university located near the ocean (who was not a science major in college) proposes building an infrared telescope right on campus and operating it in a nice heated dome so that astronomers will be comfortable on cold winter nights. Criticize this proposal, giving your reasoning.arrow_forwardHow much more light can be gathered by a telescope that is 8 m in diameter than by your fully dark-adapted eye at 7 mm?arrow_forward
- People are often bothered when they discover that reflecting telescopes have a second mirror in the middle to bring the light out to an accessible focus where big instruments can be mounted. “Don’t you lose light?” people ask. Well, yes, you do, but there is no better alternative. You can estimate how much light is lost by such an arrangement. The primary mirror (the one at the bottom in Figure 6.6) of the Gemini North telescope is 8 m in diameter. The secondary mirror at the top is about 1 m in diameter. Use the formula for the area of a circle to estimate what fraction of the light is blocked by the secondary mirror. Figure 6.6 Focus Arrangements for Reflecting Telescopes. Reflecting telescopes have different options for where the light is brought to a focus. With prime focus, light is detected where it comes to a focus after reflecting from the primary mirror. With Newtonian focus, light is reflected by a small secondary mirror off to one side, where it can be detected (see also Figure 6.5). Most large professional telescopes have a Cassegrain focus in which light is reflected by the secondary mirror down through a hole in the primary mirror to an observing station below the telescope.arrow_forwardWhat 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_forwardTelescopes can now be operated remotely from a warm room, but until about 25 years ago, astronomers worked at the telescope to guide it so that it remained pointed in exactly the right place. In a large telescope, like the Palomar 200-inch telescope, astronomers sat in a cage at the top of the telescope, where the secondary mirror is located, as shown in Figure 6.6. Assume for the purpose of your calculation that the diameter of this cage was 40 inches. What fraction of the light is blocked? Figure 6.6 Focus Arrangements for Reflecting Telescopes. Reflecting telescopes have different options for where the light is brought to a focus. With prime focus, light is detected where it comes to a focus after reflecting from the primary mirror. With Newtonian focus, light is reflected by a small secondary mirror off to one side, where it can be detected (see also Figure 6.5). Most large professional telescopes have a Cassegrain focus in which light is reflected by the secondary mirror down through a hole in the primary mirror to an observing station below the telescope.arrow_forward
- H does the resolving power of the 5-rn telescope on Mount Palomar near San Diego compare with that of the 2.5-rn Hubble Space Telescope? Why does the HST generally still outperform the Palomar 5-rn telescope?arrow_forwardWhy are the largest visible-light telescopes in the world made with mirrors rather than lenses?arrow_forwardMany decades ago, the astronomers on the staff of Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories each received about 60 nights per year for their observing programs. Today, an astronomer feels fortunate to get 10 nights per year on a large telescope. Can you suggest some reasons for this change?arrow_forward
- How much more light can the James Webb Space Telescope (with its 6-m diameter mirror) gather than the Hubble Space Telescope (with a diameter of 2.4 m)?arrow_forwardTheoretically (that is, if seeing were not an issue), the resolution of a telescope is inversely proportional to its diameter. How much better is the resolution of the ALMA when operating at its longest baseline than the resolution of the Arecibo telescope?arrow_forwardThe angular resolution of a radio telescope is to be 0.100 when the incident waves have a wavelength of 3.00 mm. What minimum diameter is required for the telescopes receiving dish?arrow_forward
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