Question 1

How much larger is the light-gathering power of a 10-inch telescope than the human eye?

Accepted Answer

Light-gathering power is proportional to

Question 2

Why do radio telescopes need to be large?

Accepted Answer

The diffraction limit determines the bes

Question 3

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A)  reflection 
B)  refraction 
C)  magnification 
D)  diffraction 
E)  interference 
A)  reflection 
B)  refraction 
C)  magnification 
D)  diffraction 
E)  interference

Question 4

Label the eyepiece, lens, focus, and focal length of the telescope shown in the figure below.

Accepted Answer

This telescope is a refracting telescope

Question 5

The first astronomical detector was

Accepted Answer

A)  the CCD. 
B)  photoelectric tubes. 
C)  the human eye. 
D)  photographic plates. 
E)  35-mm film. 
A)  the CCD. 
B)  photoelectric tubes. 
C)  the human eye. 
D)  photographic plates. 
E)  35-mm film.

Question 6

Chromatic aberration results from

Accepted Answer

A)  blue light being reflected more than red light. 
B)  red light being reflected more than blue light. 
C)  red light being refracted more than blue light. 
D)  blue light being refracted more than red light. 
E)  a lens being polished incorrectly. 
A)  blue light being reflected more than red light. 
B)  red light being reflected more than blue light. 
C)  red light being refracted more than blue light. 
D)  blue light being refracted more than red light. 
E)  a lens being polished incorrectly.

Question 7

Most modern spectrographs use a ________ to disperse the light from an object.

Accepted Answer

A)  spherical mirror 
B)  lens 
C)  glass prism 
D)  diffraction grating 
E)  parabolic mirror 
A)  spherical mirror 
B)  lens 
C)  glass prism 
D)  diffraction grating 
E)  parabolic mirror

Question 8

Astronomers can use ground-based telescopes to observe large portions of what regions of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Accepted Answer

A)  visible and infrared 
B)  visible and ultraviolet 
C)  visible and radio 
D)  visible, ultraviolet, and infrared 
E)  infrared and radio 
A)  visible and infrared 
B)  visible and ultraviolet 
C)  visible and radio 
D)  visible, ultraviolet, and infrared 
E)  infrared and radio

Question 9

Why can you see fainter stars with an 8-inch telescope than you can see with your naked eye?

Accepted Answer

A)  The telescope collects light over a larger area. 
B)  The telescope magnifies the field of view. 
C)  The telescope collects light over a wider range of wavelengths than your eye. 
D)  The telescope has a wider field of view. 
E)  The telescope has a longer integration time than your eyes. 
A)  The telescope collects light over a larger area. 
B)  The telescope magnifies the field of view. 
C)  The telescope collects light over a wider range of wavelengths than your eye. 
D)  The telescope has a wider field of view. 
E)  The telescope has a longer integration time than your eyes.

Question 10

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A)  reflection 
B)  refraction 
C)  magnification 
D)  diffraction 
E)  interference 
A)  reflection 
B)  refraction 
C)  magnification 
D)  diffraction 
E)  interference

Question 11

A prism is able to spread white light out into a spectrum of colors based on the property of

Accepted Answer

A)  reflection. 
B)  refraction. 
C)  magnification. 
D)  resolution. 
E)  aberration. 
A)  reflection. 
B)  refraction. 
C)  magnification. 
D)  resolution. 
E)  aberration.

Question 12

Calculate the resolution of an interferometric array consisting of five 10-m radio telescopes, each located 1,000 m apart from each other and observing a distant object at a wavelength of 21 cm.

Accepted Answer

@#LAT-DLM& =2.06* 10⁵ *(l/D),

Question 13

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A)  reflection 
B)  chromatic aberration 
C)  refraction 
D)  magnification 
E)  interference 
A)  reflection 
B)  chromatic aberration 
C)  refraction 
D)  magnification 
E)  interference

Question 14

If we could increase the quantum efficiency of the human eye, it would

Accepted Answer

A)  allow humans to see a larger range of wavelengths. 
B)  allow humans to see better at night or other low-light conditions. 
C)  increase the resolution of the human eye. 
D)  decrease the resolution of the human eye. 
E)  not make a difference in the sight of the human eye. 
A)  allow humans to see a larger range of wavelengths. 
B)  allow humans to see better at night or other low-light conditions. 
C)  increase the resolution of the human eye. 
D)  decrease the resolution of the human eye. 
E)  not make a difference in the sight of the human eye.

Question 15

Photographic plates provide an improvement over naked-eye observations because

Accepted Answer

A)  it is possible to observe a larger field of view. 
B)  the quantum efficiency is higher. 
C)  the image resolution is much better. 
D)  it is possible to detect fainter objects. 
E)  the integration time is much shorter. 
A)  it is possible to observe a larger field of view. 
B)  the quantum efficiency is higher. 
C)  the image resolution is much better. 
D)  it is possible to detect fainter objects. 
E)  the integration time is much shorter.

Question 16

Telescopes and satellites such as Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), and Planck are designed to detect microwave radiation emitted by

Accepted Answer

A)  galaxies. 
B)  black holes. 
C)  planets. 
D)  the Big Bang. 
E)  stars. 
A)  galaxies. 
B)  black holes. 
C)  planets. 
D)  the Big Bang. 
E)  stars.

Question 17

Why do reflecting telescopes usually have a secondary mirror in addition to a primary mirror?

Accepted Answer

A)  to increase the light-gathering power 
B)  to make the telescope shorter 
C)  to increase the magnification 
D)  to eliminate the focal length 
E)  to combat chromatic aberration 
A)  to increase the light-gathering power 
B)  to make the telescope shorter 
C)  to increase the magnification 
D)  to eliminate the focal length 
E)  to combat chromatic aberration

Question 18

Explain three major advantages of CCDs over other imaging techniques.

Accepted Answer

These are possible answers: (1)they have

Question 19

Explain why the largest telescopes are not refracting telescopes.

Accepted Answer

The larger the refracting tele

Question 20

Why do reflecting telescopes use curved mirrors instead of flat mirrors?

Accepted Answer

The purpose of a telescope is to redirec

Exam 6: The Tools of the Astronomer

How much larger is the light-gathering power of a 10-inch telescope than the human eye?

Why do radio telescopes need to be large?

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

Label the eyepiece, lens, focus, and focal length of the telescope shown in the figure below.

The first astronomical detector was

Chromatic aberration results from

Most modern spectrographs use a ________ to disperse the light from an object.

Astronomers can use ground-based telescopes to observe large portions of what regions of the electromagnetic spectrum?

Why can you see fainter stars with an 8-inch telescope than you can see with your naked eye?

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

A prism is able to spread white light out into a spectrum of colors based on the property of

Calculate the resolution of an interferometric array consisting of five 10-m radio telescopes, each located 1,000 m apart from each other and observing a distant object at a wavelength of 21 cm.

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

If we could increase the quantum efficiency of the human eye, it would

Photographic plates provide an improvement over naked-eye observations because

Telescopes and satellites such as Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE), Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP), and Planck are designed to detect microwave radiation emitted by

Why do reflecting telescopes usually have a secondary mirror in addition to a primary mirror?

Explain three major advantages of CCDs over other imaging techniques.

Explain why the largest telescopes are not refracting telescopes.

Why do reflecting telescopes use curved mirrors instead of flat mirrors?

Thinking Like an Astronomer

Patterns in the Skymotions of Earth and the Moon

Motion of Astronomical Bodies

Gravity and Orbits

Light

The Formation of Planetary Systems

The Terrestrial Planets and Earths Moon

Atmospheres of the Terrestrial Planets

Worlds of Gas and Liquidthe Giant Planets

Planetary Moons and Rings

Dwarf Planets and Small Solar System Bodies

Taking the Measure of Stars

Our Starthe Sun

The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

Evolution of Low-Mass Stars

Evolution of High-Mass Stars

Relativity and Black Holes

Galaxies

The Milky Waya Normal Spiral Galaxy

The Expanding Universe

Cosmology

Large-Scale Structure in the Universe

Life

Filters