What is resolution of a telescope? What physical process limits it?
The resolution of a telescope is the telescope’s ability to determine if two points are seen as two points or one smudgy point. Resolution, or resolving power is measured as an angle below which differentiation cannot be made. The resolution of a telescope is a consequence of the wave nature of light. Because waves can add to each other, or cancel each other, in a process called diffraction, the aperature of the telescope must be as large as possible compared to the distance to the objects and the wavelength of the light to give the best performance. An equation which describes the resolution of a telescope is Note that for a particular size of telescope resolution gets better if you look at shorter wavelengths. At a particular wavelegnth resolution improves if you increase the diameter of your telescope. 4. What is the difference between a reflecting and a refracting telescope? A reflecting telescope uses the reflection of light as it’s method of focus. A refracting telescope uses the
