TELESCOPES

FOR YOUR NOTEBOOK:

Lesson 2 Notes and Vocabulary:

1. Perspective - the height, width, and depth of an object from the viewer

2. Telescope - an optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer

   • Goals:

     • Gather as much light as possible

     • Increase the apparent size of the object

   • Parts:

     • Lens - curved piece of glass that refracts light which can magnify or reduce the image of the perceived object

     • Mirrors - reflective surfaces that can be used to bend light the way we want it.

   • Early Telescope:  

     • Had and OBJECTIVE LENS - Lens facing the object that rays refract through.  Convex in shape to focalize the rays.

     • Rays cross each other so the image appears upside-down!

     • Rays hit a second Convex Lens called EYE PIECE Lens which straightens the rays

   • Newer Telescope

     • Instead of a Convex Object Lens, it uses a Concave Mirror

     • Rays enter, hit the mirror, bend toward another mirror which bounces the light to the eye piece lens.

• Hubble Space Telescope

  • Advantage is that it eliminates Atmospheric Distortion.  In space, we don’t have atmosphere/air, so nothing distorts our image of the rest of space.  

• Crazy Amazing Humans:  they’ve created other telescopes out there using cameras that receive other types of radiation to create images.  We can learn about stars and planets using heat signatures and even X Ray to Gamma Ray signatures.