The resolving power for light of 550 nm of an optical telescope with a diameter of 232 cm is
A)0.05 arc seconds.
B)232 arc seconds.
C)2.32 arc seconds.
D)5 arc seconds.
E)11.6 arc seconds.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The resolving power of a telescope is given by the formula θ = 1.22 λ/D, where θ is the resolution in radians, λ is the wavelength of light (in meters), and D is the diameter of the telescope's objective lens or mirror (in meters). For light of 550 nm (which is 550 x 10^-9 meters) and a telescope diameter of 232 cm (which is 2.32 meters), the calculation is θ = 1.22 * (550 x 10^-9 m) / (2.32 m). Converting the result to arc seconds (since there are 206265 arc seconds in a radian) gives a resolution of approximately 0.05 arc seconds.

The Resolving Power for Light of 550 Nm of an Optical