The tools of astronomy, hmmm, what could that be.
So the show talks about the types of telescopes
used in astronomy.
Galileo invented the first telescope.
It was a REFLECTING telescope. It had two
lenses, one at each end. REFLECTING telescopes
are like over grown pirate's spy glasses.
There is a limit as to how big the objective
lens, the business end, can be made. That is about
36 inches. After that you have trouble.
A more modern telescope, within the last 150 years,
is the REFRACTING telescope. Here, a MIRROR replaces
the OBJECTIVE LENS and shoots light into another
mirror and finally into an eyepiece. These can be made up to about 10 meters which is about 400 inches.
Now, these telescopes only deal with visible light.
There is more to the ELECTROMAGNETic SPECTRUM
then just the light that we can see. There is,
Ultraviolet, Infrared, Radio waves, X-Rays,
Gamma Rays and Charles Ray. Today, astronomers
have instruments that can sense all of these
forms of non-ionizing magnetic radiation.
One problem astronomers have is our atmosphere.
Water vapor bends the light. The ionisphere
filters out some wave lengths. In general,
our atmosphere makes telescope work difficult.
That is why most descent telescopes are
way up on a mountain top. And it also why
we launched the HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE.
Ok, so that's what the show was about.
This is what the book said.
--Astronomers employ various telescopes to
observe the heavens.
Now, this is what you should know for the test.
Define ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
Define WAVE LENGTH
What is a PHOTON
What is CCD
What is a RADIO INTERFEROMETER
Know what the OBJECTIVE LENS is
Know what a REFRACTING TELESCOPE is
Know what a REFLECTING telescope is
Define CHORMATIC ABERRATION
What is an ATMOSPHERIC WINDOW
What is the FOCAL LENGTH
What is PRIME FOCUS, NEWTONIAN FOCUS, CASSESGRAIN
FOCUS
What is ACTIVE OPTICS
What is a PHOTMETER
What are the types of mountings
Hey, down at Case they have a real observatory
with a real telescope. rather than killing us
with words, why can't we do a field trip and
actually learn how to use one of these things?
Email: profborkowski@yahoo.com