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History and Mechanics of Telescopes

Telescopes have allowed astronomers to make important discoveries by magnifying distant objects in the sky. Galileo was one of the first to use a telescope, discovering the moons of Jupiter and mountains on the Moon. Later astronomers built increasingly large telescopes to gather more light, but telescopes in space like Hubble have advantages by not being affected by weather or light pollution. The magnification of a telescope depends on the focal lengths of its objective and eyepiece lenses.

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12 views13 pages

History and Mechanics of Telescopes

Telescopes have allowed astronomers to make important discoveries by magnifying distant objects in the sky. Galileo was one of the first to use a telescope, discovering the moons of Jupiter and mountains on the Moon. Later astronomers built increasingly large telescopes to gather more light, but telescopes in space like Hubble have advantages by not being affected by weather or light pollution. The magnification of a telescope depends on the focal lengths of its objective and eyepiece lenses.

Uploaded by

geth jones
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Module P7

Lesson 4

Telescopes
Link 1
Before 1609, all
astronomy was done
with the “naked eye” –
that is to say, without
telescopes.

The picture shows the


famous astronomer
Tycho Brahe making
observations with his
“mural quadrant”.

(The person “inside”


the quadrant is just a
picture.)
Galileo’s Telescope

In 1609, Galileo Galilei was one of the first people to turn the newly invented
telescopes to the sky.
He discovered many things including:
• the moons of Jupiter, named the “Galilean Moons” in his honour
• mountains on the Moon – before this, people thought it was a perfectly smooth sphere
• sunspots – although he damaged his eyes by staring directly at the Sun through
his telescope.
The Polish
astronomer Hevelius
built this 20 metre
long telescope in
1673 – the
magnification was
very large but it was
very difficult to use.

Light pollution from towns


and cities was not a
problem at that time!
The Irish astronomer Lord
Rosse drew this picture of the
M51 galaxy in 1825.

The photograph of the same


galaxy was taken by the Hubble
Space Telescope in 2005.
Telescopes have become bigger over
the years as astronomers try to
gather more light from distant objects.
The Hubble
Space Telescope
has a smaller
aperture than
many Earth
based
telescopes.

However, it is not
affected by
weather, air
pollution or light
pollution.
How to Build a Telescope

1. You need a lens with a long focal length


to be the objective lens which gathers
the light.
2. You need a lens with a short focal length
to be the eyepiece lens which helps to
produce a real, magnified and inverted
image.
Objective Eyepiece

1º 9º

Focal length of
eyepiece lens

Focal length of
objective lens
Magnification
focal length of objective lens
magnification 
focal length of eyepiece lens
Example: The objective lens of a telescope has a focal length of 1.2 m and its
eyepiece has a focal length of 0.10 m.
a) Calculate the magnification.
b) A galaxy has an angular size of 0.2º. What is its angular size when viewed
through this telescope?

focal length of objective lens


a) magnification 
focal length of eyepiece lens

1.2
magnification   12
0.10
Magnification
focal length of objective lens
magnification 
focal length of eyepiece lens
Example: The objective lens of a telescope has a focal length of 1.2 m and its
eyepiece has a focal length of 0.10 m.
a) Calculate the magnification.
b) A galaxy has an angular size of 0.2º. What is its angular size when viewed
through this telescope?
b)
Angular size = 12 x 0.2 = 2.4 º
Magnification
focal length of objective lens
magnification 
focal length of eyepiece lens
1 1
But : power 
focal length
So : focal length 
power

 1 
 
  power
1 of objective
  lens  1 
 magnificat
 magnification   ion     
 power of objective lens1  power ofeyepiece lens 
 
 power of eyepiece lens 
Magnification
focal length of objective lens
magnification 
focal length of eyepiece lens

 1   power of eyepiece lens 


 magnification      
 power of objective lens   1 

power of eyepiece lens


 magnification 
power of objective lens

Common questions

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Galileo Galilei's use of the telescope in 1609 led to groundbreaking discoveries that significantly changed our understanding of the universe. He discovered the moons of Jupiter, which were later named the Galilean Moons in his honor. This was significant because it provided concrete evidence that not all celestial bodies orbited the Earth, challenging the geocentric model of the universe. Additionally, he observed mountains on the Moon, contradicting the long-held belief that celestial bodies were perfectly smooth. Galileo also discovered sunspots, but unfortunately, stared directly at the Sun, which damaged his eyesight .

Before modern telescopes, light pollution was not a major concern as observations were made with the naked eye or simple instruments, primarily conducted in areas away from cities. However, as telescopes improved, astronomers sought larger lenses and clearer sky conditions. Although pollution from artificial lights wasn't an issue in the 17th century, it became significant with urbanization and industrialization, necessitating observatories to be located in remote areas or higher altitudes. Modern telescopes like the Hubble Space Telescope further mitigate this issue by being stationed in space .

In telescopes, the focal lengths of the objective lens and the eyepiece lens determine the magnification and characteristics of the image produced. The objective lens, with a long focal length, gathers light to form a real, inverted image, which the eyepiece lens, with a short focal length, then magnifies. The overall magnification is calculated by dividing the focal length of the objective by the focal length of the eyepiece, resulting in a magnified, inverted image that can be observed through the telescope .

Before the invention of the telescope, astronomers relied on naked-eye observations, which significantly limited their ability to study celestial bodies in great detail. They used rudimentary instruments like Tycho Brahe's mural quadrant to measure the positions of stars, but these could not reveal surface details of celestial objects or distant phenomena like galaxies. The telescope addressed these challenges by allowing astronomers to magnify distant objects, revealing details such as the moons of Jupiter, lunar mountains, and sunspots, thus vastly expanding the scope of astronomical research and our understanding of the universe .

Tycho Brahe observed celestial objects without a telescope, using precise instruments like his mural quadrant to accurately measure their positions. This allowed him to compile extensive data on planetary motions, but lacked the detail later achieved by telescopes. Galileo, on the other hand, used a telescope to observe celestial bodies, enabling the discovery of moons, sunspots, and surface details like lunar mountains. Galileo's method provided qualitative insights that challenged prevailing astronomical theories, whereas Brahe's quantitative data helped lead to Kepler's laws of planetary motion .

The Hubble Space Telescope addresses limitations found in ground-based telescopes by operating outside Earth's atmosphere. This positioning eliminates the effects of atmospheric weather, air pollution, and light pollution, which can distort and diminish the quality of astronomical observations. Thus, Hubble can capture clearer and more accurate images of celestial bodies .

The magnification of a telescope is calculated using the formula: \[\text{Magnification} = \frac{\text{focal length of objective lens}}{\text{focal length of eyepiece lens}}\]. Substituting the given values: \[\text{Magnification} = \frac{2.4 \text{ m}}{0.20 \text{ m}} = 12\]. Thus, the telescope has a magnification of 12 .

Despite its smaller aperture compared to some modern ground-based telescopes, Hubble's advantage lies in its location outside Earth’s atmosphere, exempting it from atmospheric distortions, weather effects, and light pollution. This enables Hubble to provide high-resolution images and deeper insights into distant galaxies, nebulae, and other celestial phenomena, offering clarity that is often unattainable from Earth-based observations .

When constructing a telescope, it is crucial to consider the focal lengths of both the objective and eyepiece lenses, as this affects magnification and image clarity. Larger apertures are desirable for gathering more light, which improves the visibility of distant objects. The telescope's mount and stability are also vital to minimize shaking and maintain alignment with celestial objects. Atmospheric conditions and potential light pollution have to be considered if the telescope is ground-based, whereas space-based telescopes must be robust against the harsh environment of space .

Hevelius's telescope, built in 1673, was 20 meters long to achieve large magnification. However, this design was impractical because such long telescopes were cumbersome and challenging to use. The length made them difficult to stabilize, aligning them with precision was hard, and they were affected by wind and other environmental factors. These practical limitations outweighed the benefits of increased magnification .

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