Describe one reason why it is useful to have telescopes in space.

The study of the universe and its celestial bodies, known as astronomy, has fascinated humans for millennia. It seeks to answer fundamental questions about our place in the universe, the life cycles of stars, the vastness of galaxies, and the secrets hidden within cosmic phenomena. With advancements in technology, our tools for celestial observation have continuously evolved, leading to groundbreaking discoveries.

Historically, observation was limited to the naked eye until the invention of the telescope, which significantly expanded our view into the cosmos. Astronomy heavily relies on the collection of light from distant galaxies, stars, and other celestial bodies. This light, which can travel for millions to billions of years, carries within it the information that enables astronomers to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

However, the study of astronomy from Earth's surface comes with significant obstacles. Terrestrial telescopes are impeded by various atmospheric interferences, which is one reason why placing telescopes in space revolutionized our capacity to observe and understand the universe.

Understanding light distortion is essential for grasping why space telescopes offer superior celestial observation. As light from a distant star or galaxy traverses through space, it reaches Earth largely unaltered. However, once it enters Earth's atmosphere, it encounters layers of air at different temperatures and densities, which act like lenses, bending and scattering the light.

These atmospheric effects, known as turbulence, result in a phenomenon called seeing. This refers to the distortion of light, causing stars to twinkle and images to blur—which can be quite charming to the casual observer but a major obstacle for astronomers trying to capture a clear image.

Adaptive optics technology on Earth has been developed to correct for some of this distortion, but it's not completely effective for all wavelengths of light or for viewing the entire sky. Therefore, light distortion represents a significant challenge for ground-based astronomy and accentuates the value of space-based telescopes.

The layer of gases surrounding Earth, known as Earth's atmosphere, plays a crucial role in protecting life by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention, and burning up meteors before they reach the ground. However, this protective shield also presents limitations for astronomy.

The atmosphere is composed of multiple layers, each with varying properties that can influence the passage of light. The troposphere and stratosphere, where weather and environmental phenomena occur, can cause refraction, absorption, and scattering of celestial light, thus affecting the quality of observations.

Moreover, certain wavelengths of light, such as ultraviolet, X-rays, and gamma rays, are almost completely blocked by the atmosphere, making ground-based observation of these signals nearly impossible. The deployment of space telescopes bypasses these issues, opening up a window to the high-energy universe that is otherwise hidden from ground-based instruments.

The practice of celestial observation through telescopes has benefits that extend well beyond academic interest; it helps in detecting asteroids and comets that could potentially threaten Earth, studying distant planets to understand our own, and observing the formation and death of stars, which has implications for the knowledge about the lifecycle of our Sun.

From space, telescopes are not hindered by the atmosphere and can continuously monitor the sky without the interruption of the day-night cycle. They provide astronomers with clear and unobstructed views of the universe, resulting in more accurate measurements and higher resolution images. Precise observations from space telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope have led to amazing discoveries, like confirming the existence of black holes and measuring the acceleration of the universe's expansion.

By avoiding the turmoil of Earth's atmosphere, space telescopes significantly enhance our capability for celestial observation, leading us to a deeper understanding of the cosmos and significantly advancing the field of astronomy.