Lecture 14 - Telescopes (10/29/98)


Prev Eclipses --- | --- Interferometry Next

ASTR11
Reading:

Chapter 9 (ZG4)


The 100-inch telescope at Mount Wilson Observatory near Los Angeles.
? Key Question: Why do we make big telescopes on the Earth, even though the resolution is limited by the atmospheric seeing?
! Key Principle: Optical Ray Tracing
# Key Problem: What is the resolution of the Hubble Space Telescope at its main observing wavelengths?
@ Key Quote:

Investigations:

  1. Lenses and Mirrors
  2. Brightness of Images
  3. Telescope Designs
  4. Resolution and Diffraction

Elementary Optics (continued):

Lenses are shaped refractive materials:

Dispersion is wavelength-dependent refraction:

Images from Lenses and Mirrors:

Focusing in a single thin lens:

Image formation with a single thin lens, and the thin-lens equation:

Focusing with a single paraboloidal mirror:

Image formation with a paraboloidal mirror:

Refracting & Reflecting Telescopes:

A simple compound refracting telescope, with objective and eyepiece:

Three types of reflecting telescopes: prime focus, Newtonian, and Cassegrain:

The Schmidt Camera and the Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope:

The Powers of a Telescope:

The Light Gathering Power and image brightness:

Resolving Power and resolution of telescope:

Some Tours of Observatories:

Take a guided photographic tour of observatories I have visited.

For some images and links to observatories of the world, see this Special Lecture.


Prev Prev Lecture --- Next Next Lecture --- Index Astr11 Index --- Home Astr11 Home


smyers@nrao.edu Steven T. Myers