Question 1

The angular resolution of a ground-based telescope (without adaptive optics)  is typically:

Accepted Answer

A)   30 arcsec
B)   1 arcmin
C)   10 arcsec
D)   1 arcsec
E)   30 arcminF) C) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 2

Why do reflecting telescopes usually have a secondary mirror in addition to a primary mirror?

Accepted Answer

A)   to increase the light-gathering power
B)   to make the telescope shorter
C)   to increase the magnification
D)   to increase the focal length
E)   to combat chromatic aberrationF) C) and E)
G) All of the above

Question 3

Name two reasons why astronomers might use a space telescope over a ground-based telescope.

Accepted Answer

(1) To observe at wavelengths ...

Question 4

The dispersing element in a spectrograph could be a prism or a diffraction grating.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 5

In 2008, the Cassini spacecraft made a flyby of Enceladus, one of the icy moons of Saturn. If the spacecraft's high resolution camera had an angular resolution of 3 arcsec, and it flew at an altitude of 23 km above Enceladus's surface, how large an object could be resolved on the surface?

Accepted Answer

A)   3 m
B)   30 cm
C)   30 km
D)   5 cm
E)   50 mF) C) and D)
G) None of the above

Question 6

Typically, video is shot using 24 to 30 frames per second (one frame each 33 to 42 ms) . If a filmmaker shot new experimental video at 100 frames per second (one frame each 1 ms) , how would it look during playback to the human eye?

Accepted Answer

A)   It would look like the video was being fast-forwarded.
B)   It would look like the video was about the same as normal video.
C)   It would look like the video was being played back in slow motion.
D)   It would look like a slideshow, a series of pictures on the screen each for a perceptible amount of time.
E)   It would look like the video was about the same speed as normal video, but blurry.F) None of the above
G) A) and D)

Question 7

Hans Lippershey invented the telescope in the early 1600s.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 8

Label the eyepiece, primary mirror, secondary mirror, focus, and focal length of the telescope below.

Accepted Answer

This telescope is a reflecting telescope...

Question 9

Which of the following is the biggest disadvantage of putting a telescope in space?

Accepted Answer

A)   Astronomers don't have as much control in choosing what to observe.
B)   Astronomers have to wait until the telescopes come back to Earth to get their images.
C)   Space telescopes can only observe in certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
D)   Space telescopes don't last long before they fall back down to Earth.
E)   Space telescopes are much more expensive than similar ground-based telescopes.F) C) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 10

How faint an object we can see with our eyes is limited only by the integration time of our eye (how often it processes input).

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 11

Astronomers usually study distant galaxies by looking at them directly through the eyepiece of a telescope.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 12

A beam of light passes from air to water at an incident angle of 40°, relative to a plane perpendicular to the boundary between the two. At what angle will it emerge into the water, relative to a plane perpendicular to the boundary?

Accepted Answer

A)   less than 40°
B)   exactly 40°
C)   more than 40°
D)   The beam of light does not emerge from the water.
E)   There is not enough information to answer the question.F) C) and D)
G) B) and E)

Question 13

NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory and SOFIA are two examples of telescopes placed in high-flying aircraft. Why would astronomers put telescopes in airplanes?

Accepted Answer

A)   to get the telescopes closer to the stars
B)   to get the telescopes away from the light-pollution of cities
C)   to get the telescopes above the majority of the water vapor in the earth's atmosphere
D)   to be able to observe one object for more than 24 hours without stopping.
E)   to allow the telescopes to observe the full spectrum of lightF) A) and C)
G) A) and E)

Question 14

The diffraction limit of a 4-meter telescope is _________ than that of a 2-meter telescope.

Accepted Answer

A)   two times larger
B)   four times larger
C)   four times smaller
D)   two times smaller
E)   It depends on the type of telescope.F) B) and D)
G) B) and C)

Question 15

Discuss two tools that modern astronomers use to explore the cosmos that are different from traditional optical telescopes and give an example of how and why each is used.

Accepted Answer

These are possible answers:
(1) Radio te...

Question 16

The major advantage CCDs have over other imaging techniques is that:

Accepted Answer

A)   they have a higher quantum efficiency
B)   they have a linear response to light
C)   they yield output in digital format
D)   they operate at visible and near-infrared wavelengths
E)   All of the above are true.F) B) and E)
G) A) and D)

Question 17

Samples of which celestial object(s)  have been brought back to Earth to be studied in detail?

Accepted Answer

A)   a comet
B)   the solar wind
C)   an asteroid
D)   the Moon
E)   all of the aboveF) A) and B)
G) B) and E)

Question 18

What is the angular resolution of a 1-m, ground-based, optical telescope that observes at a wavelength of 600 nm compared to that of a 300-ft, single-dish radio telescope that observes at a wavelength of 21 cm?

Accepted Answer

The angular resolution of the 1-m, groun...

Question 19

According to the law of reflection, if a beam of light strikes a flat mirror at an angle of 30° relative to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the mirror, at what angle will it reflect, relative to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the mirror?

Accepted Answer

A)   0°
B)   30°
C)   60°
D)   90°
E)   120°F) A) and B)
G) C) and E)

Question 20

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

Accepted Answer

A)   reflection
B)   chromatic aberration
C)   diffraction
D)   magnification
E)   interferenceF) A) and C)
G) A) and B)

Exam 6: The Tools of the Astronomer

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The major advantage CCDs have over other imaging techniques is that:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following is the biggest disadvantage of putting a telescope in space?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Label the eyepiece, primary mirror, secondary mirror, focus, and focal length of the telescope below.

Correct AnswerverifiedThis telescope is a reflecting telescope...View AnswerShow Answer

Typically, video is shot using 24 to 30 frames per second (one frame each 33 to 42 ms) . If a filmmaker shot new experimental video at 100 frames per second (one frame each 1 ms) , how would it look during playback to the human eye?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Why do reflecting telescopes usually have a secondary mirror in addition to a primary mirror?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

The dispersing element in a spectrograph could be a prism or a diffraction grating.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

In 2008, the Cassini spacecraft made a flyby of Enceladus, one of the icy moons of Saturn. If the spacecraft's high resolution camera had an angular resolution of 3 arcsec, and it flew at an altitude of 23 km above Enceladus's surface, how large an object could be resolved on the surface?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

How faint an object we can see with our eyes is limited only by the integration time of our eye (how often it processes input).

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

What is the angular resolution of a 1-m, ground-based, optical telescope that observes at a wavelength of 600 nm compared to that of a 300-ft, single-dish radio telescope that observes at a wavelength of 21 cm?

Correct AnswerverifiedThe angular resolution of the 1-m, groun...View AnswerShow Answer

The angular resolution of a ground-based telescope (without adaptive optics) is typically:

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Samples of which celestial object(s) have been brought back to Earth to be studied in detail?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Name two reasons why astronomers might use a space telescope over a ground-based telescope.

Correct Answerverified(1) To observe at wavelengths ...View AnswerShow Answer

Astronomers usually study distant galaxies by looking at them directly through the eyepiece of a telescope.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

According to the law of reflection, if a beam of light strikes a flat mirror at an angle of 30° relative to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the mirror, at what angle will it reflect, relative to a plane perpendicular to the surface of the mirror?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

A beam of light passes from air to water at an incident angle of 40°, relative to a plane perpendicular to the boundary between the two. At what angle will it emerge into the water, relative to a plane perpendicular to the boundary?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Discuss two tools that modern astronomers use to explore the cosmos that are different from traditional optical telescopes and give an example of how and why each is used.

Correct AnswerverifiedThese are possible answers:(1) Radio te...View AnswerShow Answer

The diffraction limit of a 4-meter telescope is _________ than that of a 2-meter telescope.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Hans Lippershey invented the telescope in the early 1600s.

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory and SOFIA are two examples of telescopes placed in high-flying aircraft. Why would astronomers put telescopes in airplanes?

Correct AnswerverifiedShow Answer

Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below? $Which of the following phenomena is shown in the figure below? A) reflection B) chromatic aberration C) diffraction D) magnification E) interference$

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This telescope is a reflecting telescope...
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The angular resolution of the 1-m, groun...
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(1) To observe at wavelengths ...
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These are possible answers:
(1) Radio te...
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