Compared to optical telescopes, radio telescopes are built large because:
A)they're less expensive to make than optical telescopes.
B)radio photons don't carry much energy.
C)atmospheric turbulence is more of a problem.
D)radio sources are harder to find.
E)radio waves are absorbed by the atmosphere.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Radio photons have longer wavelengths than optical photons, which means they carry less energy. To detect them, radio telescopes need to be much larger than optical telescopes in order to collect enough photons to make an image. Radio photons have much lower energy compared to optical photons, which means that radio telescopes need to have larger collecting areas to detect these weak signals.

Compared to Optical Telescopes, Radio Telescopes Are Built Large Because