Telescopes and Detectors
Telescopes and the Discovery of the Universe
[<] - TOC - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - Links - [>]

Improving the Telescope

Following Galileo's startling discoveries, astronomers progressively created bigger and better telescopes. Click the links on the right to see some of these developments.
6a, 1760 6b, 1844 6c, 1917 6d, 1948 6e, 1961 6f, 1996
Herschel Rosses Leviathan Hooker 2m Palomar 4m Parkes Radio Telescope Keck 10m pair
Telescope advances included:
  • greater light gathering capacity, enabling us to see fainter objects at greater distances
  • better resolving power, enabling us to see finer and finer detail in distant objects
  • detection if other forms of radiation such as infrared light and radio waves

Each advance enabled astronomers to see more of the Universe.

Modern telescopes are generally better than
earlier telescopes because:

  1. they gather more light and show finer detail
  2. they bring objects closer to us
  3. they are more expensive and nicer to look at
  4. they are easier to use
thinking