6.5-6.6 Telescopes

Which of the following types of telescopes can be used ONLY above the Earth's atmosphere?

• x-ray telescope
• visible-light telescope
• radio telescope
• reflector
• none of the above

Which of the following is NOT an advantage that the Hubble Space Telescope has over large telescopes on Earth?

• the Hubble is above the Earth's atmosphere, while on the ground star images twinkle and jiggle
• the Hubble can observe at wavelengths (such as UV) which cannot be seen from the ground
• the Hubble has a larger aperture than any visible-light telescope on Earth
• the Hubble has a better resolution than visible-light telescopes on Earth (not counting adaptive optics)
• you can't fool me, all of these are advantages the Hubble has over earth-bound telescopes

The SOFIA Project is

• a small Lear jet with an 8-inch visible-light telescope on board, designed to search for lost NASA spacecraft
• an x-ray telescope flying many kilometers up (so high that it had to be automated)
• a balloon designed to fly above the ozone layer and search for ultraviolet radiation from space
• an airplane with an infra-red telescope on board designed to fly above much of the water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere
• a NASA aircraft used only by Hollywood movie-makers to teach what it’s like in free fall

Which of the following major telescopes was not located in space?

• the Hubble Space Telescope
• the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory
• the International Ultraviolet Explorer
• the Keck Telescope
• the Roentgensatellit (ROSAT) x-ray telescope

What was the major problem with the Hubble Space Telescope when it was first launched into orbit?

• its antenna wouldn't open, so the data could not be sent back to Earth
• it was in the wrong orbit, so it dipped down into the Earth's thicker atmosphere regularly
• its spectroscope broke during the launch
• the mirror's shape was slightly wrong, so all the light did not come to a single focus
• the mirror cover was stuck in the “partly on” position, making part of the mirror not usable

In the summer of 1996, the European Space Agency announced that it would be suspending the operations of the International Ultraviolet Explorer. Astronomers who were most unhappy about that announcements were likely to be studying what types of objects?

• distant galaxies at the limits of the observable universe
• cool stars just being born from cosmic raw material
• very hot stars
• the Moon
• gamma-ray bursts

The first x-ray telescope capable of forming images of x-ray source was called:

• Hubble
• Einstein
• Uhuru
• Compton
• Bayonne

The Chandra Observatory orbiting the Earth is designed to

• search for infra-red waves from stars that are in the process of being born
• replace the Hubble Space Telescope, with a much larger mirror for collecting visible light
• search for rapidly changing radio signals
• examine sources of cosmic x-rays
• spy on countries in Asia, such as India, China, and Pakistan

Why do astronomers prefer to put infrared telescopes on high-flying airplanes or on satellites in space?

• because no infrared radiation can exist anywhere near the Earth’s surface
• because the water vapor in the lower atmosphere is very good at absorbing infrared
• because high up the Sun’s energy can be used to heat the infrared telescope
• because that way they are significantly closer to the objects they observe
• You can’t fool me, all infrared telescopes are located on the Earth’s surface

When the James Webb Space Telescope is finally launched, what will be its distinguishing characteristic (what about it will really help astronomers)?

• it will observe gamma-rays from the most energetic events in the universe
• it will be the same size and design as the Hubble Space Telescope, which is wearing out
• it will have the largest mirror ever put into space for observing faint objects
• it will allow us to take pictures with the same resolution as a radio dish
• it will be in low Earth orbit, and thus easy for astronauts to repair