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New Improved Eyes

New Improved Eyes. Telescopes and “Invisible” Astronomy. Galileo Redux. Galileo first used the telescope to make important observations An optical telescope since it used visible portion of spectrum All telescopes are “light buckets” Stellar Parallax is finally seen (1830’s)

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New Improved Eyes

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  1. New Improved Eyes Telescopes and “Invisible” Astronomy

  2. Galileo Redux • Galileo first used the telescope to make important observations • An optical telescope since it used visible portion of spectrum • All telescopes are “light buckets” • Stellar Parallax is finally seen (1830’s) • Cosmological Models were refined

  3. Optics • When light passes from one transparent material (medium) to another its speed changes (Water, glass) • This causes REFRACTION (bending) of the light rays • Rainbows, “broken” pencils • Does depend on Wavelength of light

  4. Refraction Air Water

  5. Optics • When light hits a polished opaque surface, it is REFLECTED with no change in speed • Mirrors, shiny metallic objects • Light will bounce off at the same angle that it came in • Doesn’t depend on wavelength of light

  6. Reflection 40º 40º Mirror

  7. Image Formation • Light is reflected or given off by objects • Lens and Mirrors can be used to direct and focus this light • Lenses use refraction • Mirrors use reflection • When light rays return to same relative positions they started at from the object, an image is formed

  8. Image Formation • For very distant objects (stars, galaxies, planets) this light is focused at the focal point of the lens or mirror • This image is then transferred to the detector (eye, photographic plate, CCD) • The image forms at the distance of the focal length from the lens or mirror

  9. Telescopes • 3 parts • Objective • Instrument • Mount

  10. The Jobs of a Telescope • Light Gathering Power –Most important • Determined by Area of the Objective Lens • Resolution- • Determined by Diameter of the Objective Lens • Magnification-Least Important • Determined by Focal Length of Eyepiece

  11. Telescopes • Use lenses and/or mirrors • Objective (Lens or Mirror) –focuses light • Prime Focus-focal point of objective • Eyepiece (Lens) or other Instruments capture image • Doesn’t have to be an “optical” image

  12. Telescopes • Refractor • Lens objective • Think long and skinny • How do they work? • Reflector • Mirror Objective • Think short and stout • How do they work? • Both can have lens eyepiece

  13. Refractor Problems • Big Glass costs Big $$$ • Must be large to focus light • Unstable and Difficult to move • Chromatic Aberration • Spherical Aberration • Absorption of light • Big Glass is heavy leading to saggy lenses • Imperfections in Glass, bubbles, cracks etc.

  14. Reflector Problems • Do not have Chromatic Aberration, absorptions, size or imperfection problems • Still have spherical aberration but this can be corrected with an extra attachment (Schmidt Corrector Plate) • All big telescopes are reflectors, some containing “fish-eye” mirrors

  15. Reflectors Keck 1 Fish eye mirror

  16. Reflector Hobby-Eberly Telescope helped pioneer the fisheye technology Telescope still works after one of the mirrors was shot!

  17. Solar Telescope

  18. Telescope’s Job Description • All telescopes perform same jobs • Gather Light • Light Gathering Power-Area of Objective • Resolve Detail • Resolution-Diameter of Objective • Magnify Image • Focal Length of Eyepiece

  19. Invisible Astronomy • Many wavelengths we can’t see • Special telescopes can “see” them • Optical Telescopes (Keck) • Radio Telescopes (VLA) • X-ray Telescopes (Chandra) • UV (Fuse) • Infrared (IRTF)

  20. Chandra X-ray Observatory Orbiting X-ray telescope searching for high energy objects such as Black Holes

  21. Invisible Astronomy • Much more information • Different types of situations make different wavelengths of light • One object, observed at different wavelengths can provide new insights • It may look quite different at the different wavelengths

  22. Sun at Several Wavelengths X-ray EUV UV Visible http://umbra.nascom.nasa.gov/images/latest.html

  23. Radio Telescopes • Can be used singly or in groups • Bigger “eye” – more sensitive • Can observe night and day, rain or shine • Grouping-Interferometry • Improves resolution

  24. Very Large Telescope Arecibo Radio Telescope is the largest on Earth at 1000 ft wide Astronomy Picture of the Day

  25. Very Large Array 27 “house sized” radio antennae that can be move on railroad tracks They span an area equal to a small city in land area Astronomy Picture of the Day

  26. Invisible Astronomy • Earth’s Atmosphere absorbs much of EM spectrum • Visible, some Infrared, Radio make it through • Get above atmosphere

  27. Summary • Telescopes are “light buckets” • 3 important jobs • 2 basic types • Invisible Astronomy provides much more information

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