Astronomy
1st Edition
ISBN: 9781938168284
Author: Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher: OpenStax
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Chapter 6, Problem 31E
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.
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Chapter 6 Solutions
Astronomy
Ch. 6 - What are the three basic components of a modern...Ch. 6 - Name the two spectral windows through which...Ch. 6 - List the largest-aperture single telescope...Ch. 6 - When astronomers discuss the apertures of their...Ch. 6 - The Hooker telescope at Palomar Observatory has a...Ch. 6 - What is meant by “reflecting” and “refracting”...Ch. 6 - Why are the largest visible-light telescopes in...Ch. 6 - Compare the eye, photographic film, and CCDs as...Ch. 6 - What is a charge-coupled device (CCD), and how is...Ch. 6 - Why is it difficult to observe at infrared...
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