Question 1

Discuss two advantages of flyby missions over orbiters in exploring planets and moons in the solar system.

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Question 2

Why don't astronomers put all telescopes in space?

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Question 3

What is the diffraction limit of a 4-m telescope observing at a wavelength of 650 nm?

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Question 4

What is quantum efficiency?

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Question 5

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

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Question 6

In 2009, the Cassini spacecraft made repeated orbits around Titan, Saturn's largest moon.If this spacecraft orbited at an altitude of 1,000 km above Titan's surface and its high-resolution camera had an angular resolution of 3 arcsec, how large an object could be resolved on Titan's surface?

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Question 7

Calculate the resolution of an interferometric array consisting of five 10-m radio telescopes, each located 1,000 m apart from each other and observing a distant object at a wavelength of 21 cm.

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Question 8

What is the diffraction-limited 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?

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Question 9

Explain how a spectrograph works.

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Question 10

Explain the difference between dispersion and diffraction.How can both phenomena be used to create a spectrum?

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Question 11

Why does combining the light from smaller telescopes give observation results comparable to those of a single large telescope with a diameter equal to the separation of the two smaller telescopes?

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Question 12

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.

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Question 13

Why is it difficult to view low-surface-brightness objects, such as the Andromeda Galaxy, with the naked eye? Does the view improve with the use of a telescope? What is needed to get a bright, clear view of the Andromeda Galaxy, as commonly seen in pictures?

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Question 14

When you look at the side of a CD where the data are stored, why do you observe a rainbow?

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Question 15

Why do radio telescopes need to be large?

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Question 16

Describe the feasibility of observing astronomical phenomena from Earth's surface across the entire electromagnetic spectrum.Use the figure below as a reference.

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Question 17

Why do astronomers need to study microwaves, instead of visible light, in order to understand the Big Bang?

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Question 18

What are gravitational waves, and how are they detected?

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Question 19

Explain three major advantages of CCDs over other imaging techniques.

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Question 20

What are some advantages and disadvantages of using landers to explore the solar system?

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Quiz 6: The Tools of the Astronomer