What characteristic of the 10-m Keck telescopes makes them fundamentally different from older telescopes, such as the one on Mount Palomar?
A) They are located in Earth's orbit, away from all the distortions of Earth's atmosphere.
B) They are actually four closely spaced telescopes that can be operated together as if they were a single telescope.
C) The primary mirrors are large, very thin pieces of glass that can be deformed rapidly to compensate for seeing.
D) The primary mirror is made up of 36 separate mirror segments.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The primary mirror of the 10-m Keck telescopes is made up of 36 separate mirror segments, which is a fundamental difference from older telescopes like the one on Mount Palomar that have a single, solid primary mirror. This segmented design allows for the construction of much larger mirrors than would be possible with a single piece of glass.

What Characteristic of the 10-M Keck Telescopes Makes Them Fundamentally