Name: ______________________________________________ Period: _________ Date: _______________

Telescopes From The Ground Up

Directions: Use the URL at the bottom of this page to access the online telescope activity. Then follow the
procedures and answer the questions below.
At the top of this page, click on The electromagnetic spectrum.
1) What wavelengths of light are visible to humans?
2) What types of radiation have shorter wavelengths than visible light? What types have longer wavelengths?
Shorter
Longer
Return to the Basic Science Concepts page, and click on Three ways lights path can be altered.
3) Describe each of the following, and draw a diagram for each.
Refraction

Reflection

Absorption

Return to the Basic Science Concepts page, and click on Refraction by lenses vs. Reflection by mirrors.
4) Draw diagrams to show the difference between light refraction and reflection. Label the focal point for
each.
Refraction
Reflection

On this same page, click the underlined word convex.

5) Draw diagrams to show the difference between concave and convex (for both mirrors and lenses). What
does each one do?

Return to the Basic Science Concepts page, and click on What do telescopes do?
6) Besides magnifying an image, explain the two main things telescopes do.
(1)
(2)
http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/resources/explorations/groundup/lesson/basics/

Return to the Basic Science Concepts page. In the right column, click on Galileos refracting telescope.
7) Draw and label the basic design for Galileos telescope.

Return to the Basic Science Concepts page. In the right column, click on Keplers design for an improved
refractor.
8) Draw and label the basic design for Keplers refracting telescope.

9) What was the difference in Keplers lens that improved the design? What did this do to its focal length?

10) Between Galileos and Keplers designs, which one would create an upside-down image to the observer?
How can you tell?

At the top of the Kepler page, click on Telescopes From The Ground Up. On the tree, select Era Of Newtons
Reflector. Read through these three pages.
11) What problems was Newton trying to fix?

12) What is chromatic aberration, and what causes it?

13) How was Newtons telescope different from the refracting telescopes?

14) How big was Newtons reflecting telescope, and what was its magnifying power?

15) What were some of the problems with Newtons reflecting telescope?

Go back one page (to page 2 of this article on Newton). Click on Newtons Reflecting Telescope, found in the
Get To The Root Of It box to the left.
16) Draw and label a diagram of Newtons telescope design.