Astronomy & space · Grades 9–12
Telescopes, resolution and observing data · revision notes
A telescope collects light over an aperture. In a simple unobstructed comparison, collected power scales with diameter squared.
Key ideas and conditions
Aperture
A telescope collects light over an aperture. In a simple unobstructed comparison, collected power scales with diameter squared.
Resolution
Angular resolution differs from magnification. Diffraction gives a characteristic angle proportional to wavelength divided by aperture diameter.
Noise
Longer exposures can improve signal-to-noise in appropriate regimes, but detector noise, backgrounds, saturation and moving targets complicate the tradeoff.
Calibration
Dark frames, flats and reference observations address different measurement effects. A processed image should preserve records of its transformations.
Explain without looking
- Give one reason a space telescope and a ground telescope can offer complementary evidence.
- If collected signal counts quadruple in the stated negligible-background photon model, by what factor does SNR change?
Further reading and review references
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