Telescopes: Portals of Discovery

Flashcards about Telescopes, based on lecture notes.

Refraction

The bending of light when it passes from one substance into another.

Focus

The point where refraction bends parallel light rays to converge.

Light-collecting area

The ability to gather a greater amount of light in a shorter time, achieved with telescopes with a larger collecting area.

Angular resolution

The capability of telescopes to take images with greater detail, achieved with larger telescopes.

Refracting telescope

Focuses light with lenses.

Reflecting telescope

Focuses light with mirrors.

Imaging

Taking pictures of the sky.

Spectroscopy

Breaking light into spectra.

Time Monitoring

Measuring how light output varies with time.

Light curve

Represents a series of brightness measurements made over a period of time.

Light that passes easily through Earth's atmosphere

Radio and visible light.