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Understanding Telescopes and Astronomy Concepts

This document discusses several topics related to astronomy including: 1) Why large telescopes use mirrors and radio telescopes use large dishes - to collect visible light and radio waves, respectively. 2) Ray diagrams and how they are used to show the path of light through a lens and find the focal length and image location. 3) A diagram labeling the relative positions of the sun, earth, and moon at different times of day and year. 4) Additional concepts like moon phases, parallax angle and parsecs for measuring distance, and how Cepheid variables can be used to calculate distances through their observed brightness and pulsation rate.

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79 views1 page

Understanding Telescopes and Astronomy Concepts

This document discusses several topics related to astronomy including: 1) Why large telescopes use mirrors and radio telescopes use large dishes - to collect visible light and radio waves, respectively. 2) Ray diagrams and how they are used to show the path of light through a lens and find the focal length and image location. 3) A diagram labeling the relative positions of the sun, earth, and moon at different times of day and year. 4) Additional concepts like moon phases, parallax angle and parsecs for measuring distance, and how Cepheid variables can be used to calculate distances through their observed brightness and pulsation rate.

Uploaded by

api-27344426
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Telescopes: Ray Diagrams: Sun Moon and Earth:

Why do large telescopes collecting visible light use mirrors? Where is the focal point? The diagram shows the Sun at
midday on 21st March.
Why do radio telescopes need a large diameter dish or array? How would you find the focal length of the Label the diagram with M to shows
the Sun at 10am and A at 2pm.
What is resolving power? lens? Label the focal
Label with S to show the Sun at
How is aperture linked to resolving power? point of the lens. Draw in the image. midday on July 21st, and W to
represent the Sun on midday on 21st
With a small aperture, which colour diffracts (spreads out) Describe how you would construct a ray Dec.

most and why? diagram like this.

objec
What is the link between wavelength and diffraction?
t
Parallax and parsecs (1 parsec = 1 second of arc =
East
3.26 light years)
Observing the Universe Topic 1&2 West
This diagram represents the Sun,
Revision Earth and Moon. Label these Moon
Stars and Radiation: Phases: Full, New, Half Waxing, Half
Draw on the parallax angle, and label the parsec Waning.

E
Stars given out e-m radiation. The graph links to the
distance. types

If the parallax angle is 0.5seconds of arc how far is the X-


star in Gamma UV Vis IR Micro Radio
Ray

(a) Parsecs (b) light years

Cepheid Variable Stars:


How long is a month?
These rare stars pulse at a fixed rate. What does this
rate depend upon? What is the difference between a
solar and lunar eclipse?
Explain the difference between observed brightness and
luminosity. What phase of the month is the moon
in for each one?
How it this information used to calculate distance?

The amount released depends on which two factors?


A
Which type is rarest to see?

S
Hubble used Cepheid’s to arrive at his Law. What is the
Law? What is the difference between a

radiation?P
Which end of the e-m spectrum is Black Body solar and sidereal day, and why it
there a difference?
U
o

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