0
In what ways are radio telescopes better than optical telescopes?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
Both types of telescope collect and focus electromagnetic radiation for observational purposes, the difference is their band of observed frequencies. Radio telescopes are used for the radio frequencies ( ~3km - ~30cm) while optical telescopes are used for frequencies closer to visible light ( ~0.7μm - ~0.4μm). Optical telescopes may also be able to detect infrared and ultraviolet light.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoOptical telescopes use either lens' (refractory) or mirrors (reflective) to magnify light. Radio telescopes use dishes to pick up radio waves. sensors on the dishes collect the waves and turn them into a pictur
e
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoThe main difference between IR and optical telescopes is the range of electromagnetic radiation which they are able to detect. In case of IR telescopes, this range lays between beyond red end of visible spectrum and microwave radiation. Range of optical telescopes is generally, the complete visible spectrum.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoOptical telescopes can not see through the clouds of dust and gases that surround and permeate our galaxy. A radio telescope can. What this means is that a radio telescope can see far further into the universe than an optical telescope.
Wiki User
∙ 8y agoAn optical telescope detects light waves by using an object lens or a mirror that focusses the rays to an eyepiece or camera. A radio telescope detects radio waves from space using a one or more radio antennas.
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoRadio telescopes collect radio waves. Optical telescopes capture visible light waves.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoThe Hubble telescope is a reflecting optical telescope.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Do Optical telescopes have poorer resolution than radio telescopes?
Not necessarily.
Do Radio telescopes have poorer angular resolution than optical telescopes because radio waves have a much longer wavelength than optical waves?
yes
What is radio telescope?
" RAY-dee-oh TELL-uh-skope"
Why do you use only two types of telescopes here on earth optical or radio telescopes?
Radiation other than light and radio waves hardly penetrates Earth's atmosphere.
Why do single dish radio telescopes have poor resolving power compared to optical telescopes of the same diameter?
Radio telescopes are generally much larger than optical telescopes for two reasons: First, the amount of radio radiation reaching Earth from space is tiny compared with optical wavelengths, so a large collecting area is essential. Second, the long wavelengths of radio waves mean that diffraction severely limits the resolution unless large instruments are used.
Why do non optical telescopes work better on earth?
They don't. All earth bound telescopes, optical or not, must deal with a number of issues. But what do you mean by "better"? A radio telescope is better suited to pick up radio waves than an optical telescope, but an optical telescope is better for visible light. They each serve their purpose better than the other.
Do Optical telescopes have poorer resolution than radio telescopes?
Not necessarily.
Do Radio telescopes have poorer angular resolution than optical telescopes because radio waves have a much longer wavelength than optical waves?
yes
What can radio telescopes do that optical telescopes cant?
No. The gain of the antenna ... which translates directly into angular resolution ... depends on the wavelength (frequency) of operation.The 2.5 meter optical parabolic reflector (telescope) on Mt. Wilson is a titan. 2.5 meter parabolic radio antennas are routinely used in intercity microwave communication but would be quite useless for serious radio-astronomy, as they are such shrimps at radio wavelengths.
What is radio telescope?
" RAY-dee-oh TELL-uh-skope"
Why do you use only two types of telescopes here on earth optical or radio telescopes?
Radiation other than light and radio waves hardly penetrates Earth's atmosphere.
Why do single dish radio telescopes have poor resolving power compared to optical telescopes of the same diameter?
Radio telescopes are generally much larger than optical telescopes for two reasons: First, the amount of radio radiation reaching Earth from space is tiny compared with optical wavelengths, so a large collecting area is essential. Second, the long wavelengths of radio waves mean that diffraction severely limits the resolution unless large instruments are used.
Why are radio telescopes typically built so large compared with optical telescopes?
Radio telescopes are much larger than optical telescopes because of wavelength. Earth's atmosphere has two major "windows" where it is transparent to photons: 300 nm - 800 nm: optical wavelength window (approximate) 30 mm - 30 m: radio wavelength window (approximate) Even the shortest-wavelengths used by radio telescopes at around 30 mm are still thousands of times longer than the longest wavelengths used by optical telescopes. The wavelength has 2 effects on the size of a telescope: * The angular resolution (in order to distinguish 2 nearby stars, FWHM) depends on the wavelength/aperture ratio. Radio-frequency photons require a wider aperture to focus than visible-light-frequency photons, so radio telescopes *must* be larger to get a reasonable resolution. * A telescope typically requires the collecting area to be aligned within 1/10 of the wavelength it is designed for. Because it is almost impossible to get all the parts of a sufficiently large telescope aligned to within 80 nm, radio telescopes *can* be built much larger.
Why isn't necessary for radio telescopes surface to be as smooth as mirrors?
The reflector of your telescope's mirror DOES need to be finely polished, with no disturbances bigger than a half-wavelength or so. So for optical telescopes, the mirror must be smooth to nanometers. But for a radio telescope which measures wavelengths in meters or centimeters, a fine wire mesh will generally do the trick. And since radio telescopes tend to be very large, the finer the mesh the lighter the dish can be - and therefore, more easily rotated and pointed.
What is it called when scientists use more than one telescope to look at the same object?
Interferometry. First used in radio telescopes optical instruments were a "relatively" recent addition to the process. It is the interference of signals that is used to create resolution. The further the instruments are apart the better it works.
State the difference between optical and non-optical telescopes?
Optical measures visible light, Radio measures electromagnetic radiation in that part of the spectrum corresponding to radio waves. Same with X-ray telescopes and x-rays. Optical is the kind you look through.
Why do astronomers continue to build even larger telescopes?
Radio telescopes allow us to see things that can't be seen in visible light. And vice versa, optical telescopes can show things that are not visible in radio telescopes. So, the information from both kinds of telescopes really complements each other.
