astronomer's telescopes
span the entire electromagnetic spectrum
light gathering power
telescope's ability to make faint light sources visible.
... [Show More] primary purpose of astronomical telescopes
resolving power
A measure of the clarity of the image; it is the minimum distance two points can be separated and still be distinguished as two separate points
magnifying power
the ability of a telescope to make an image larger. determined by the eyepiece. less important to astronomers
reflecting telescope
A telescope that uses a curved mirror to collect and focus light. most astronomical telescopes are these.
refracting telescope
A telescope that uses convex lenses to gather and focus light
sun
center of our solar system. hot ionized gas. 5 billion years old. nuclear energy is the only energy on earth that can not be traced to this
comet
A ball of frozen dust and rock that orbits the sun and has a tail that glows, (astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit
asteroids
chunks of rock and metal that range in size from the smallest rocks we can find on Earth to a few hundred kilometers. Most, which are also called minor planets, orbit the Sun between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter in the _______belt, but they can be found outside this .
Mercury
1st planet from the Sun . The surface very closely resembles the surface of the Moon. They in fact both have very similar geologic histories. Its surface is covered with a large number of craters formed from meteorite impacts. It is made of rock with a metallic iron core. It has no significant atmosphere and is a geologically dead world.
Venus
2nd planet from the sun. covered with thick clouds that hide the planet's surface; however the space program has allowed us to learn more about it. The thick, approximately 95% carbon dioxide atmosphere causes a runaway greenhouse effect, so the surface temperature is over 700 K, hot enough to melt lead. In addition the atmospheric pressure is about 100 times Earth's atmospheric pressure, and the clouds contain a very high percentage of sulphuric acid. Compared to earth b/c of its size, mass and density.
Earth
Largest and most geologically active of the terrestrial planets. However, the bulk composition is mostly rock and metal. The mantle is rocky, while the core is nickel and iron.
Jupiter
5th planet from the sun. largest planet in the solar system, has rings like all jovian planets, this gas giant is a big ball of gas with no real solid surface.has a giant storm system-the great red spot
Saturn
6th planet from the sun, ring system, jovian planet
Uranus
gas giant planet. methane in the atmosphere. tilted nearly ninety degrees on its axis, compared to Earth's more typical twenty-three degree tilt.
Neptune
gas planet, methane atmosphere, has storms so must have heat
Inner planets
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars, are all roughly similar in size and composition. Terrestrial planets., balls of rock
Earth's moon
terrestrial planet, very little geologic activity, rock and metal, smaller
jovian planets
have rings, balls of gas, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune. larger
nebula
clouds of gas and dust in space. Many are regions where star formation is actively taking place. [Show Less]