Exploring the Universe: Visible Light Telescopes and More
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Presentation Transcript
Review • When is Orion visible in Arizona? • What is a circumpolar star or constellation? • When are circumpolar stars or constellations visible in Arizona? • What is the order from least to most complex of galaxy planet, universe, solar system? • Explain gravity.
Studying space from Earth • Tele = distance • Scopos = to watch • Light and radiation (energy in the form of waves that travel through empty space) • How astronomers gather info about space
Light and Other Forms of Radiations • Visible light is a form of electromagnetic radiation which is energy that travels across the distances of different types of waves. • Examples of electromagnetic radiation that you can’t see are radio waves and x-ray. Scientists have developed instruments that can detect these types. • Electromagnetic radiation travels in all directions throughout space. Astronomers determine the size, distance and movement of space objects by studying its radiation. • Radiation can reveal what an object is made of and how it has changed.
Spectrum • White light separated into a range of colors is called a spectrum. • In a spectrum, the colors of visible light differ and appear in the order of their wavelengths. • Wavelength is the distance between one wave peak and the next wave peak. Red light has the longest wavelength and purple the shortest. • Visible light is a small fraction of the Electromagnetic Spectrum
Frequency Frequency is the number of cycles per unit of time. Most often measured in cycles per second
Telescopes • A telescope is a device that gathers electromagnetic radiation (light). • Telescopes provide images that are much clearer than what is seen with the naked eye because telescopes show radiation that eyes can’t detect. • Most telescopes gather radiation with a glass lens or a reflecting surface such as a mirror. Larger lenses and reflecting surfaces produce brighter and more detailed images.
Visible-light Telescopes • Reflecting Telescope – This type of telescope has curved mirrors that gather and focus light. The image comes into focus in front of the mirror. Many reflecting telescopes have a second mirror that reflects the image to recording equipment or to a lens called an eyepiece. • Remember: Reflecting because mirrors reflect an image!
Reflecting Telescope • Eyepiece • Primary mirror • Secondary mirror • Light
Visible-light Telescopes 2. Refracting Telescope – This type of telescope has an objective lens, or curved piece of glass, at one end of a long tube. The lens gathers light and focuses it to form an image near the other end of the tube. An eye piece magnifies this image. • Remember: Refracting because the curved lens changes, bends or deflects light!
Objective lens • Eyepiece
Most powerful visible light telescopes are built on mountain tops or in rural areas to avoid city lights. • The atmosphere interferes with light coming in from space. • The movement of the air in the atmosphere is what makes stars seem to twinkle
Mauna Kea Observatory Hawaii Griffith Observatory Los Angeles European Southern Observatory Chile
Radio Telescopes • Radio telescopes show where radio waves are being emitted by objects in space. Radio telescopes have a large, curved metal surface called a dish. (Parabola) • They are often found in groups with all dishes aimed the same way to gather waves to improve the quality of the image. • Because radio waves are so large they can penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere. What does this mean? • What is one difference between a radio telescope and a visible light telescope?
Space Telescopes • The Hubble telescope is a reflecting telescope that was placed into orbit in 1990. • Because it’s in space, the atmosphere does not interfere with imaging. • The lack of atmospheric interference allows the Hubble to produce very clear images. • Atmosphere blocks most x-rays and gamma rays
Closure • In ISN Answer: • What is radiation? • How are visible light, radio waves, and other forms of electromagnetic radiation different from each other? • What function do mirrors serve in reflecting telescopes? • Why are some telescopes placed high on mountains or in orbit around Earth?