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Chapter 6
Telescopes
14
Astronomy
Undergraduate 2
10/08/2011

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Cards

Term
2 Types of Telescopes
Definition
refracting and reflecting
Term
refracting telescope
Definition
bends light using lenses to collect and focus light
Term
reflecting telescope
Definition
uses mirrors to gather light and then reflect it onto a second mirror
Term
the focal plane of the Human Eye
Definition
plane at which the image is detected (the retina in the back of the eye), where it focuses onto one point
Term
filtering systems
Definition
the color obtained in astronomical images are composite of images taken at different wave bands (blue, green and red, lowest to highest respectively)
Term
interferometry
Definition
taking images with multiple telescopes and combining them
advantages: covers more area, no single point of failure
disadvantages: expensive, need to combine all of their individual signals
Term
the 3 categories of astronomical observation
Definition
imaging (cameras), spectroscopy (spectra of distant objects), and timing (how brightness changes over time)
Term
spectral resolution
Definition
the details in spectrums, some of which blur together in a lower resolution
Term
what are the strongest wavelengths and what are the weakest related to Earth's atmosphere?
Definition
radio and visible waves penetrate the deepest
x-rays and gamma rays the least
Term
radio telescopes
Definition
satellite dish with a metal dish that has a mirror inside, designed to bring the waves to a focus in front of the mirror to the 2nd mirror, the receiver
Term
infrared telescopes
Definition
must be placed in high altitudes because they generally do not reach the ground, many are launched into space
structurally, infrared telescopes are similar to visible-light telescopes
Term
ultraviolet telescopes
Definition
similar in wavelength to visible and infrared wavelengths
earth's atmosphere absorbs most ultraviolet light, making ground observations almost impossible, so they are also launched into space, where the wavelengths are collected and focused with mirrors
Term
x-ray telescopes
Definition
special mirrors needed to deflect x-rays, and large light-collecting areas allow for detailed x-ray spectra
Term
gamma-ray telescopes
Definition
need detectors, not mirrors, that are very heavy
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