TELESCOPESNate Walsh

The reason I chose telescopes

Even with the most powerful telescopes imaginable, there’s a limit to how far we can see into space: In a universe that is 14 billion years old, we cannot possible see anything more than 14 billion light-years away. Beyond that-say, at a distance of 15 billion light years-we’d be looking back to a time before the universe existed, which means there’s nothing to see.

I don’t think that quite makes sense, even though our light will only be 14 billions light years away. Anything out side of that parameter would still have its light traveling toward the earth before it existed.

The light from the other galaxies doesn’t wait for the earth until it starts to send off it’s light. So wouldn’t it’s light already be on its way in this direction before the earth existed. Unless, they are suggesting that the earth was the first planet. So it seems to make more sense that telescopes can only see so far.

Maybe they are suggesting that the big bang was the start of everything. And earth is the center of where everything started.

But that doesn’t make sense either. It doesn’t seem there wouldn’t be enough matter in one explosion to create all those other galaxies. And if there is already galaxies over 14 billion light years away. That would mean their matter would’ve had to travel faster then the speed of light.

What are the different types of telescopes.

Refracting telescopes Refracting telescope operates much like

an eye, using transparent glass lenses to collect and focus light.

Reflecting Telescope Reflecting telescopes uses a precisely

curved primary mirror to gather light. This mirror reflects the gathered light to a secondary mirror that lies in front of it. The secondary mirror then reflects it.

Which type is more powerful?

Reflectors Nearly all telescopes used in current

astronomical research are reflectors.

One main limiting factor used to be that the glass was too heavy to build them very large. But recent innovations have allowed them lighter glass and they can now build bigger and more powerful telescope. And are the main type they use in space.

What makes one telescope better than the other?

Light collecting are – tells us how much total light the telescope can collect at one time.

Angular resolution – is the smallest angle over which we can tell two dots are distinct.

Why do they even have telescopes in space?

The purpose is because telescopes in space are above the distorting effects of the Earth’s atmosphere. So even though they are much more expensive, they see much more extensive.