21st Century Astronomy
6th Edition
ISBN: 9780393428063
Author: Kay
Publisher: NORTON
expand_more
expand_more
format_list_bulleted
Concept explainers
Question
Chapter 6, Problem 42QP
To determine
The size of smallest object which the MRO can detect on Martian surface.
Expert Solution & Answer
Want to see the full answer?
Check out a sample textbook solution
Students have asked these similar questions
The Hubble Space Telescope has a primary mirror with diameter 2.4 m. Suppose you were able to point it at Mars when the planct is at its closest point to the Earth in its orbit, which would be about 55.7 million km from the telescope. How close could two features on the Martian surface be and still be resolved (assume a wavelength in the middle of the visible spectrum - a number you should know at this point, at least approximately)?
Which of the following telescopes must be used above Earth’s atmosphere?
a.
an optical telescope
b.
the VLBI telescope
c.
an X-ray telescope
d.
a radio telescope
e.
none of the above
When the Mars rover Sojourner was deployed on thesurface of Mars in July 1997, radio signals took about 12 min totravel from Earth to the rover. How far was Mars from Earth at thattime?
Chapter 6 Solutions
21st Century Astronomy
Ch. 6.1 - Prob. 6.1ACYUCh. 6.1 - Prob. 6.1BCYUCh. 6.2 - Prob. 6.2CYUCh. 6.3 - Prob. 6.3CYUCh. 6.4 - Prob. 6.4CYUCh. 6.5 - Prob. 6.5CYUCh. 6 - Prob. 1QPCh. 6 - Prob. 2QPCh. 6 - Prob. 3QPCh. 6 - Prob. 4QP
Ch. 6 - Prob. 5QPCh. 6 - Prob. 6QPCh. 6 - Prob. 7QPCh. 6 - Prob. 8QPCh. 6 - Prob. 9QPCh. 6 - Prob. 10QPCh. 6 - Prob. 11QPCh. 6 - Prob. 12QPCh. 6 - Prob. 13QPCh. 6 - Prob. 14QPCh. 6 - Prob. 15QPCh. 6 - Prob. 16QPCh. 6 - Prob. 17QPCh. 6 - Prob. 18QPCh. 6 - Prob. 19QPCh. 6 - Prob. 20QPCh. 6 - Prob. 21QPCh. 6 - Prob. 22QPCh. 6 - Prob. 23QPCh. 6 - Prob. 24QPCh. 6 - Prob. 25QPCh. 6 - Prob. 26QPCh. 6 - Prob. 27QPCh. 6 - Prob. 28QPCh. 6 - Prob. 29QPCh. 6 - Prob. 30QPCh. 6 - Prob. 31QPCh. 6 - Prob. 32QPCh. 6 - Prob. 33QPCh. 6 - Prob. 34QPCh. 6 - Prob. 35QPCh. 6 - Prob. 36QPCh. 6 - Prob. 37QPCh. 6 - Prob. 38QPCh. 6 - Prob. 39QPCh. 6 - Prob. 40QPCh. 6 - Prob. 41QPCh. 6 - Prob. 42QPCh. 6 - Prob. 43QPCh. 6 - Prob. 44QPCh. 6 - Prob. 45QP
Knowledge Booster
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, physics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.Similar questions
- Theoretically (that is, if seeing were not an issue), the resolution of a telescope is inversely proportional to its diameter. How much better is the resolution of the ALMA when operating at its longest baseline than the resolution of the Arecibo telescope?arrow_forwardWhat is meant by “reflecting” and “refracting” telescopes?arrow_forwardMany decades ago, the astronomers on the staff of Mount Wilson and Palomar Observatories each received about 60 nights per year for their observing programs. Today, an astronomer feels fortunate to get 10 nights per year on a large telescope. Can you suggest some reasons for this change?arrow_forward
- The smallest detail visible through a Earth-based telescope is about 1.00 arcsecond in diameter. Use the small angle formula to determine to the right number of significant figures the size of the object in meters this would represent on Mars as it is at the closest distance from Earth. (??????? ???????? (arc−seconds)2.06×105=?????? ??????????????? ; ???−????????????−????=5.46×105 ??).arrow_forwardWhat diameter telescope (in m) would you need to observe Olympus Mons (624 kmin diameter) from Earth at a wavelength of 550 nm when Mars is2.55×106km away?xUse the small angle formula to calculate the angular size of Olympus Mons. Then use the telescope resolution formula to calculate the diameter needed to resolve it marrow_forwardWhen astronomers discuss the apertures of their telescopes, they say bigger is better. Explain why. a) A wider aperture can observe a significantly larger portion of the sky. b) A wider aperture makes a telescope easier to aim. c) A wider aperture allows a telescope to collect more light, so it can produce images with higher resolution. d) A wider aperture allows a telescope to collect more light, so it can detect fainter light sources.arrow_forward
- A telescope that suffers from chromatic aberration and has a low light-gathering power is most likely a(n) a. small diameter reflecting telescope. b. small diameter refracting telescope. c. large diameter refracting telescope. d. large diameter reflecting telescope e. infrared telescope.arrow_forwardUnder ideal conditions and when Mars is closest, estimate the linear separation between two objects on Mars that can barely be resolved by (a) the naked eye and (b) the Hubble telescope (whose main mirror is 2.4 meters in diameter). (Hint: the answers are about 5000 km and 14 km)arrow_forwardWhat are the arguments for building the TMT telescope?arrow_forward
- What will be the minimum size of a Martian surface feature resolvable during the 2003 opposition by an Earth-based telescope with an angular resolution of 0.05"?arrow_forwardTelescopes do more than just magnify images. In fact, if all they did was magnify images Galileo would have never seen the moons of Jupiter. What other important thing does the telescope do? a)The telescope is better at tracking movement than the naked eye is. b)The telescope is able to take disorderly rays and collimate them. c)The telescope is able to discern more colors than the naked eye can. d)The telescope is able to gather more light than the naked eye can. Kepler's design allowed him to achieve better image quality and higher magnifications than Galileo's. However, his design has a significant drawback. What is it? a) Kepler's telescope has rays intersecting each other, which creates the possibility that they will interfere with each other. b) Kepler's telescope is less able to collimate chaotic incoming light. c) Kepler's telescope collects less light. d) Kepler's image is inverted, while Galileo's is upright.arrow_forward
arrow_back_ios
arrow_forward_ios
Recommended textbooks for you
AstronomyPhysicsISBN:9781938168284Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. WolffPublisher:OpenStax
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399944Author:Michael A. SeedsPublisher:Cengage Learning
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)PhysicsISBN:9781337399920Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana BackmanPublisher:Cengage Learning
Astronomy
Physics
ISBN:9781938168284
Author:Andrew Fraknoi; David Morrison; Sidney C. Wolff
Publisher:OpenStax
Stars and Galaxies (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399944
Author:Michael A. Seeds
Publisher:Cengage Learning
Foundations of Astronomy (MindTap Course List)
Physics
ISBN:9781337399920
Author:Michael A. Seeds, Dana Backman
Publisher:Cengage Learning