A graduate student is trying to follow the weather on Jupiter for her PhD thesis. To see the big weather patterns in the upper atmosphere of the planet, she needs to have excellent resolution. What type of telescope would be best for her to use?
A) a refractor, with as small an aperture as possible
B) a radio telescope
C) a large reflector in an observatory located at sea level
D) a large reflector located in orbit above the Earth's atmosphere
E) you can't fool me, all these telescopes have the same resolution

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A large reflector located in orbit above the Earth's atmosphere would be the best choice for obtaining excellent resolution of the weather on Jupiter's upper atmosphere. This is because the Earth's atmosphere distorts the image quality of telescopes located on the ground, leading to poor resolution. However, a telescope located in orbit above the Earth's atmosphere would be free of this atmospheric distortion, allowing for better resolution of the weather patterns on Jupiter.

A Graduate Student Is Trying to Follow the Weather on Jupiter