Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 6: Problem 17

Explain why combining the light from two or more optical telescopes can give dramatically improved angular resolution.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Combining light from multiple telescopes improves angular resolution due to interferometry. This technique effectively increases the aperture size, enabling the detection of smaller angular separations between celestial objects.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Angular Resolution

Angular resolution is a measure of the smallest angle between two objects that a telescope can clearly distinguish. For a single optical telescope, its maximum angular resolution is determined by its aperture size. The larger the aperture, the smaller the angle that can be resolved, and hence the better the resolution.
02

Introducing Interferometry

Optical interferometry involves combining light from two or more telescopes, in such a way that the telescopes act as a single, larger telescope. The resulting telescope has an effective aperture equal to the largest separation between the individual telescopes. This technique exploits the wave nature of light.
03

Wavefront Combination

When light from the same source arrives at two separate telescopes, their respective wavefronts can combine constructively or destructively (interference). By carefully combining the wavefronts constructively, we create a phenomenon as though a 'larger' telescope was being used. This is because the effective aperture has now increased.
04

Resulting Improved Angular Resolution

The larger effective aperture results in improved angular resolution, due to the relationship between aperture size and maximum angular resolution. This is why using multiple telescopes and combining their light can provide dramatically improved angular resolution than using a single telescope.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

  • Full Textbook Solutions

    Get detailed explanations and key concepts

  • Unlimited Al creation

    Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...

  • Ads-free access

    To over 500 millions flashcards

  • Money-back guarantee

    We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

What is active optics? What is adaptive optics? Why are they useful? Would either of these be a good feature to include on a telescope to be placed in orbit?

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a small telescope in Earth's orbit versus a large telescope on a mountaintop.

What is chromatic aberration? For what kinds of telescopes does it occur? How can it be corrected?

Three of the telescopes shown in Figure 6-16-the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope (JCMT), the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO), and the Submillimeter Array (SMA)are designed to detect radiation with wavelengths close to \(1 \mathrm{~mm}\). Search for current information about JCMT, CSO, and SMA on the World Wide Web. What kinds of celestial objects emit radiation at these wavelengths? What can astronomers see using JCMT, CSO, and SMA that cannot be observed at other wavelengths? Why is it important that they be at high altitude? How large are the primary mirrors used in JCMT, CSO, and SMA? What are the differences among the three telescopes? Which can be used in the daytime? What recent discoveries have been made using JCMT, CSO, or SMA?

Why are radio telescopes so large? Why does a single radio telescope have poorer angular resolution than a large optical telescope? How can the resolution be improved by making simultaneous observations with several radio telescopes?
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Physics Textbooks

Force

Read Explanation

Torque and Rotational Motion

Read Explanation

Space Physics

Read Explanation

Kinematics Physics

Read Explanation

Waves Physics

Read Explanation

Fluids

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free