Key Terms

By Formative Library

Last updated over 2 years ago

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adaptive optics
systems used with telescopes that can compensate for distortions in an image introduced by the atmosphere, thus resulting in sharper images

aperture
diameter of the primary lens or mirror of a telescope

charge-coupled device (CCD)
array of high-sensitivity electronic detectors of electromagnetic radiation, used at the focus of a telescope (or camera lens) to record an image or spectrum

chromatic aberration
distortion that causes an image to appear fuzzy when each wavelength coming into a transparent material focuses at a different spot

detector
device sensitive to electromagnetic radiation that makes a record of astronomical observations

eyepiece
magnifying lens used to view the image produced by the objective lens or primary mirror of a telescope

focus
(of telescope) point where the rays of light converged by a mirror or lens meet

interference
process in which waves mix together such that their crests and troughs can alternately reinforce and cancel one another

interferometer
instrument that combines electromagnetic radiation from one or more telescopes to obtain a resolution equivalent to what would be obtained with a single telescope with a diameter equal to the baseline separating the individual separate telescopes

interferometer array
combination of multiple radio dishes to, in effect, work like a large number of two-dish interferometers

prime focus
point in a telescope where the objective lens or primary mirror focuses the light

radar
technique of transmitting radio waves to an object and then detecting the radiation that the object reflects back to the transmitter; used to measure the distance to, and motion of, a target object or to form images of it

reflecting telescope
telescope in which the principal light collector is a concave mirror

refracting telescope
telescope in which the principal light collector is a lens or system of lenses

resolution
detail in an image; specifically, the smallest angular (or linear) features that can be distinguished

seeing
unsteadiness of Earth’s atmosphere, which blurs telescopic images; good seeing means the atmosphere is steady

telescope
instrument for collecting visible-light or other electromagnetic radiation

Please take the time to check out the source for this material from Openstax if you plan to use this in your lesson plan!: https://openstax.org/books/astronomy/pages/6-key-terms