Could you list the ways in which Earth’s atmosphere can hinder astronomical observations?

Question

And explain why putting a telescope in space helps in each case.

Answer 1

1. Refraction due to turbulance - causes the stars to "twinkle", adds temporally varying distortion
2. Spectral absorption of light - can alter the appearance of spectra from stars and hinder understanding of teh mechanisms that cause stars to burn fuel.
3. Obscuration of light (loss of light) due to weather, pollution, atmospheric aerosols.
4. Radiation of light by the atmosphere - interfers with infrared observations as the atmosphere also emits infrared light

Answer 2

There are two major ways in which Earth's atmosphere hinders observations. First, a telescope on the ground has to look through moving air masses with different densities. This limits the resolution (or the smallest detail that the telescope can see). The result is basically a blurry image (think of looking through the air rising off of a hot road surface). Space telescopes do not have this issue, since they are looking through the vacuum of space, and can therefore resolve finer details.

The second issue is that there are certain wavelengths of light that are very effectively scattered or absorbed by Earth's atmosphere. This means there are some things that we simply cannot see from the ground because all of the light is absorbed before it ever reaches ground-based telescopes. Certain infrared wavelengths are absorbed by water vapor and other materials high in the atmosphere, making observations at these wavelengths from the ground very difficult. Again, space telescopes are looking through essentially empty space, and (in most cases) are not limited by this type of absorption.

Answer 3

When you are above the Earth's atmosphere the stars do not twinkle because the atmosphere has no effect. Dust and heat waves really do bad things to images seen through telescopes on the earth's surface.

Answer 4

It all has to do with the atmosphere, and you can see by the problems it causes, why a 'scope in space works much better...

- absorbtion. Certain gasses in the atmosphere absorbe certain electromatic wavelengths before they get to the ground so you cannot see them.

- distortion . Light travels at different speeds thru different temps and concentrations of the atmosphere making "seeing" unclear. Like a mirage, or "heat-waves" on the highway.

- clouds, haze, etc. These prevent seeing.

- scattered sunlight. This is why you cannot see stars in the sky (with your eye - but it is the same for a 'scope) during the day.

How's that?

Ron.

Answer 5

All the atmostphere just gets in the way, refracting and distorting light from distant objects. A space telescope simply doesn't have any atmosphere between its lenses and the stars.

Answer 6

The atmosphere diffracts light, also air turbulence and heat can make objects appear to move and blink, which affects 'seeing' and makes it harder to take good quality images. Also, weather plays a big part in limiting the amount of the sky that is visible on any night.

Answer 7

You cannot get an accurate image through the atmosphere, especially when it's hot and humid. It's cold is space.

Answer 8

No, because I can smell a "homework" question, and I don't do homework. Read your text. Exercise your brain, or drop the course. Pass or fail on your own intellect. An intellectual parasite eventually gets his just deserts.