Explorations: Introduction to Astronomy (Arny), 6th Edition

Chapter 5: Telescopes

Problems

1
Compare the light-gathering power of a telescope with a 10-centimeter (about 4-inch) diameter mirror to that of the human eye. (Take the diameter of the pupil of the eye to be about 5 millimeters.)
2
Estimate your eye's resolving power by drawing two lines 1 millimeter apart on a piece of paper. Put the paper on the wall and then step back until the two lines appear as one, measuring that distance. From the distance and the separation of the lines (1 millimeter), estimate their angular separation. How does your result for the eye's resolving power compare with that calculated from the resolving-power formula, using a pupil diameter of 5 millimeters and a wavelength of 500 nanometers?
3
Can the unaided human eye resolve a crater on the Moon whose angular diameter is 1 minute of arc (560 seconds of arc)? (Take the diameter of the pupil of the eye to be about 5 millimeters and the wavelength of the light to be 500 nanometers.)
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