Telescopes Resolution - Degree to which fine detail can be distinguished Resolution - Degree to which fine detail can be distinguished Fundamentally an issue of distinguishing angles Fundamentally an issue of distinguishing angles
Telescopes Resolution Power - Angle betwn two stars that can just be resolved Resolution Power - Angle betwn two stars that can just be resolved Images created by telescope have a size in at the focus that depends on the size of the objective lens or mirror Eye (5 mm) Small Telescope (5 cm) “Large” Telescope (15 cm)
Telescopes Resolution Power - Angle betwn two stars that can just be resolved Resolution Power - Angle betwn two stars that can just be resolved Small Telescope (5 cm) Resolution (arcseconds) “Diffraction Limit” Diameter of Objective (cm) Wavelength (cm)
Telescopes Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions - true limit of ground-based observations - true limit of ground-based observations
Telescopes Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions - true limit of ground-based observations - true limit of ground-based observations 1 arcsec
Telescopes Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions - true limit of ground-based resolution - true limit of ground-based resolution
Telescopes Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions - true limit of ground-based observations - true limit of ground-based observations Palomar Hubble Space Telescope
Telescopes Resolution Power - Angle betwn two stars that can just be resolved Resolution Power - Angle betwn two stars that can just be resolved Small Telescope (5 cm) Resolution (arcseconds) “Diffraction Limit” Diameter of Objective (cm) Wavelength (cm)
Telescopes Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions Atmospheric Seeing - blurring due to atmospheric motions - true limit of ground-based observations - true limit of ground-based observations