I'm working on my Astronomy work and one of my tasks is to calculate the resolution of a telescope with this information:
type:reflector
focal length of objective: 250mm
Diameter of objective: 500 mm
Focal length of standard eye piece: 20mm
and the formula:
angular resolution=0.25 wavelength/telescope diameter
I can't figure out how to get the wavelength!!! someone help me please!
2007-03-04 11:33:46 · 2 answers · asked by brainstewie 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
For this question in particular my professor is not giving me anything about the spectrum or anything she hasn't given me anything about the light. The only thing she provided me with was the info I wrote.
I'm so confused!
2007-03-04 11:58:51 · update #1
We did not actually observe this..this is just a theoretical question she made up.
2007-03-04 11:59:44 · update #2
Wavelength is the wavelength of the light that you are observing. So if it were at the blue end of spectrum your wavelength would be 400 nanometers to red light at 700 nanometers. If you just want an approximation use the middle of the two numbers.
2007-03-04 11:45:41 · answer #1 · answered by rscanner 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In your formula, wavelength is the wavelength of light you are observing. The longer the wavelength you observe, the worse the angular resolution (which is one of the reasons that radio telescopes need to be so large).
2007-03-04 11:46:16 · answer #2 · answered by kris 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋