P7 Page 18

Question 0

What are the advantages of both Earth and space based telescopes.

Answer 0

Advantage: The atmosphere cannot mess you up
Disadvantages: It’s difficult to get repair men out, Earth astronomy is much easier and cheaper, astronomers have developed good techniques to remove the effects of the atmosphere. It is a lot easier to get a time slot to do observing on Earth-based telescopes.

Question 1

What problems does the atmosphere cause when trying to get measurements?

Answer 1

1) Atmosphere only lets certain wavelengths through and blocks others.
2) Light gets refracted by the water in the atmosphere, which blurs the images.
3) Light can be absorbed by dust particles in the air.

Question 2

What are the uncertainties in space programmes?

Answer 2

1) They are really expensive
2) government has to balance paying other priorities like defence and health care.
3) Funding on space programmes is never guaranteed