Ch. 6

A size of telescope that is quite popular among amateur astronomers for "deep sky" photography (for example, nebulae and galaxies) is one with a 35-cm diameter primary mirror. Under perfect seeing conditions, what would be the minimum angular separation of two equally bright stars that can be resolved by this telescope; in other words, what is the diffraction-limited angular resolution? Assume a wavelength of 550 nm.

0.4 arcsecond

An astronomical telescope has an objective lens with a focal length of 160 cm and an eyepiece lens with a focal length of 5 cm. What magnification does this telescope provide?

32

The resolution in a telescope is best for which segment of the visible spectrum?

blue

The Burrell Schmidt telescope at Kitt Peak, Arizona, has an objective lens 24 inches in diameter. The Palomar Schmidt telescope objective lens diameter is 48 inches. How much light does the Palomar Schmidt telescope gather compared to the Burrell Schmidt telescope?

four times as much

Compared to its speed in a vacuum (or in space), the speed of light in glass is

less

Compared to the speed of visible light in a vacuum (or in space), its speed in glass is

less

Which of the following characteristics of an astronomical telescope is most important for determining the angular resolution?

the diameter of the objective lens or mirror