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Telescopes
A telescope is a device used to form images of distant objects. There are two kinds: an optical telescope uses lenses and is known as a refracting telescope or a refractor, and a reflecting telescope, which uses a mirror and is known as a reflecting telescope or a reflector. The earliest telescope was a refractor built by the Dutch eyeglass maker Hans Lippershey. This category is for questions related to telescopes, including using them to view distant planets and objects in space.
1,887 Questions
Where is the Salt telescope situated in South Africa?
Situated in Sutherland, South Africa, 230 miles north east of Cape Town, on the hill top of a nature reserve
Who was hubble space telescope named after?
The Hubble Space Telescope was named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble, who made significant contributions to the field of observational cosmology. Hubble is best known for demonstrating the expansion of the universe through his observations of galaxies moving away from Earth.
What do you mean by resolving power of telescope?
The "resolving power" of a telescope is a measure of the ability of a telescope to distinguish between two separate objects that appear to be very close together in the sky.
What planet can you live on that is not earth?
Scientists are still trying to figure out how to live on other planets.
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You should ask an alien, we humans are not so good on questions about extraterrestrial real estate.
What was wrong with the Hubble Space Telescope?
The problem with Hubble Space Telescope (the HST, or just the "Hubble") was that the primary reflector, that is, the mirror which redirects the incoming light to focus it, was ground using an incorrectly calibrated reference as a guide. This left it "out of focus" in areas farther from the center. There were a couple of checks for accuracy made with secondary references, and they were off, but the "warning" was ignored and the opinion was offered that the two secondary references were not as accurate as the primary reference was. More information can be had by reading the Wikipedia post on the Hubble. A link to that post can be found below.
Why is it necessary to use different types of telescopes in astronomy?
Larger telescopes are often used to focus on one specific star or distant formations. Smaller telescopes view broader areas of stars or larger formations.
When where reflecting telescopes invented?
The Reflecting telescope was invented in the 17th century. The Italian professor Niccolò Zucchi is credited with making the first reflector in 1616, and the design was perfected by the English physicist Sir Isac Newton in 1668, with the addition of a small "diagonal" secondary mirror near the primary mirror's focus to reflect the image 90° to allow the user to view the image without obstructing the incoming light.
A reflecting telescope has both magnifying mirrors and lenses to focus the image on the eyepiece.
A refracting telescope uses only lenses to magnify and focus.
A reflecting telescope can be much smaller, because the light can travel through the barrel of the telescope several times, being magnified with each reflection. This is why most large modern telescopes are reflectors.
Who is was the first man discovered telescope?
Hans Lipperhey, a German spectacle maker, is the original inventor for the telescope.
What makes a telescope powerful?
The light-gathering power of a telescope is determined by its aperture, which refers to the width of a telescopes primary mirror or objective lens.
What is the positive lens is the same as?
The focal point F and focal length f of a positive (convex) lens, a negative (concave) lens, a concave mirror, and a convex mirror. The focal length of an optical system is a measure of how strongly the system converges or diverges light.
interferometers because charge-coupled devices are only used in optical telescopes
What kind of images does a single negative lens produce?
It produces only a virtual image in front of the lens.
What was the name of the telescope to find Neptune?
I'm not sure the telescope itself had a "name". Neptune was first observed (by someone who recognized it for a planet) at the Berlin Observatory in 1846.
Galileo's drawings make it clear that he had seen it over 200 years earlier in 1612 and 1613, but did not recognize it as anything other than just another star.
Where can one purchase a Bushnell Telescope in the Boston area?
The best astronomy, telescope, binocular and microscope site for the Boston area is Scope City online. Check out the features for the Bushnell Telescope before buying.
Why is Hawaii a good place for a telescope?
Lots of cloudless nights and relatively low light pollution. The air is a little warmer (hence more turbulent) than astromomers would prefer, but you can't have everything.
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Answer #2:
It's not that Hawaii is such a good place for astronomical observations.
It's that Hawaii happens to be where the ancient volcano Mauna Kea
is located. With its summit at 13,800 feet above sea level, Mauna Kea is
the second most "topographically prominent" montain in the 50 states,
and measured from its base to its summit, it's the tallest mountain on
Earth. And yet, it's one of only a few places on Earth where you can
drive from sea level to almost 14,000 feet in about 2 hours.
Mauna Kea's summit is one of the best sites in the world for astronomical
observation because a number of factors create favorable observing conditions.
The atmosphere above the volcano is extremely dry ... important for
infrared and submillimeter astronomy because water vapor absorbs
radiation in most of that region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The
summit is above the inversion layer that separates lower maritime air from
upper atmospheric air, keeping most cloud cover below the summit, and
ensuring the air on the summit is dry, and free of atmospheric pollution.
The summit atmosphere is exceptionally stable, and thast lack of turbulence
creates some of the world's best astronomical "seeing". The very dark
skies resulting from Mauna Kea's distance from city lights are preserved
by legislation that minimizes light pollution from the surrounding area,
and the darkness level allows the observation of faint astronomical objects.
These factors historically made Mauna Kea an excellent spot for amateur
stargazing, and eventually for serious, world-class astronomical research.
What constellation is the Orion telescopes named after?
The Orion telescopes are named after the constellation with the same name, the Orion constellation. The Orion constellation is named after the hunter in Greek mythology also with the same name, Orion.
What are examples of non-optical telescopes?
All types of lens that see parts of the electromagnetic spectrum other than light. E.g. infrared cameras
What happens when you increase the diameter of a telescope?
Specifically if you increase the diameter of the main lens, or of the main mirror (depending on the type of the telescope), you'll be able to observe dimmer objects (stars, planets, etc.). Also, the telescope's resolving power (angular resolution) improves with a bigger mirror/lens. For example, with a bigger mirror/lens you'll be able to distinguish two stars that are closer together as separate objects.
What does a simple refracting telescope have?
It has a collection of mirrors and lenses - which direct the incoming image to the eyepiece, which is usually set at 90 degrees to the body of the telescope.
