Unit 3: Study Guide Questions Flashcards
What does a prism do?
Dispenses light into color by bending wavelengths of light
What part of the magnetic spectrum has a longer wavelength?
Radio Waves
What can a star’s spectrum tell astronomers?
Details on what the star is made of, its temperature, density, and motion.
What type of spectrum does the radiation from most stars produce?
Absorption Spectrum
What does the Doppler Effect tell astronomers about a star?
Whether a star is moving towards, or away from Earth
What does a refracting telescope use to produce an image?
It uses a lens to bend and focus the light.
What type of spectrum does a typical incandescent light bulb produce?
A continuous spectrum
Why is chromatic aberration a problem for astronomers?
It distorts or jumbles up images by causing colors to focus on different points, creating blurriness.
What does a reflecting telescope use to produce an image?
It uses mirrors.
What type of telescope are most optical telescopes?
They are reflecting telescopes.
What do radio telescopes use to gather and focus radio waves?
They use large dish antennas to gather and focus the radio waves.
What advantage do space telescopes have over Earth-based telescopes?
They are free from atmospheric inference, light pollution, and have continuous observation opportunities.
What is solar wind?
A continuous stream of charged particles that come from the sun.
Why do sunspots appear darker than the rest of the sun?
They are cooler in temperature than the surrounding areas.
What is an effect of solar flares on Earth?
They disrupt radio communication.
