TELESCOPE TOUR
Radio and visible waves can go through Earth’s atmosphere
Mauna Kea Observatory
Optical telescopes Need clear weather Away from city lights (light pollution) Above clouds (mountain tops) –Less distortion Many in AZ and HI
REFRACTING TELESCOPES Use multiple lenses to focus light and magnify images.
The USNO 26-inch Refracting Telescope
REFLECTING TELESCOPES Uses a series of mirrors to gather and focus light.
8” REFLECTOR
Keck Observatory 10 m reflector largest in world
LBT meter mirrors 10x resolution of Hubble
REFRACTORS VS REFLECTORS REFRACTORS good for observing solar system objects See details expensive to manufacture (lens, support) Chromatic aberration (halo affect;bad) Smaller- easy to travel with
REFLECTORS cheaper to manufacture (mirrors are easier than lenses & mirrors can be supported from behind) See farther than refractors –Lose detail Can build larger (10 meters vs. 1 meter)
CATADIOPTRIC TELESCOPES combines the best features of refractors and reflectors
Radio telescopes Gather incoming radio waves Convert waves to colors Produce false color images
Very Large Array Socorro, NM
40 meter radio telescope Green Bank, WV
305 meter Arecibo Radio Telescope
SUPERNOVA REMNANT
THE MOON
A GALAXY
Advantages of Radio Telescopes Use anytime (day, clouds, etc) No dome needed “see” much farther
McMath Solar Observatory
HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
Advantages of Space Telescopes No atm. Interference –See clearer NOT CLOSER Can detect wavelength that atm. blocks
Hubble vs. Ground based telescopes
Spitzer infrared telescope launched 2003
GLAST- gamma ray telescope proposed launch 2006
Chandra X-ray telescope launched 1999
HUT (HOPKINS UV TELESCOPE) Clumpy universe
Milky Way Visible
Milky Way Radio
Milky Way Gamma rays
Milky Way- X Ray