What are the two capabilities of telescopes that are greater than the human eye?
a. The ability to collect more light and see large angular details than the human eye
b. The ability to collect less light and see smaller angular details than the human eye
c. The ability to collect more light and see smaller angular details than the human eye
d. The ability to see further into space
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is c. The ability to collect more light and see smaller angular details than the human eye.
Telescopes have two primary capabilities that make them far superior to the human eye when it comes to observing distant objects in space.
- Ability to collect more light: Telescopes can gather significantly more light than the human eye, which has a limited capacity to collect light due to its small pupil size. Larger telescopes have larger apertures, allowing them to capture more light, and consequently, they can observe fainter objects. This is crucial for observing distant stars, galaxies, and other faint celestial bodies that would otherwise be invisible to the human eye.
- Ability to see smaller angular details: The resolution of an optical telescope is determined by its aperture size, which limits the minimum angular detail that can be resolved. The larger the telescope’s aperture, the finer the detail it can reveal. This is referred to as angular resolution. Human eyes have a resolution limit of about 1 arcminute, but telescopes, particularly those with larger apertures or advanced techniques like adaptive optics, can resolve objects down to much smaller angular details. This enables telescopes to reveal fine details of distant planets, stars, and galaxies that are impossible to see with the naked eye.
Together, these two features—greater light collection and higher resolution—make telescopes essential for studying the universe. By collecting more light, telescopes can observe fainter objects, and by having a better resolution, they can capture more intricate details of distant astronomical phenomena. This is why telescopes have been instrumental in expanding our understanding of space beyond what the human eye can perceive.