Gamma-Ray Bursts - Telescopic Trivia
TELESCOPIC TRIVIA
From the time that Galileo first used a telescope to study the heavens, these tools have been essential to our study of the Universe. Use your knowledge of telescopes, reference materials (almanacs, encyclopedia, Web searches, Guinness Book of World Records), as well as clues provided by the trivia information to match the telescope description in column A with its name in column B. Write the letter of the correct name from column B on the line following the Column A description.
| Column A | Column B |
| 1. The world's most powerful optical reflector telescope has a primary mirror composed of 36 hexagonal segments each 1.8m in size. Theoretically, it would be able to separate a car's headlights at a distance of 25,000 km. ____________ | A. RadioAstron and ground-based radio telescopes, including some of the biggest single-dish telescopes in the world in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, Green Bank, W.V., and Effelsberg, Germany |
| 2. This is the world's largest optical instrument for solar research; its primary mirror is 2.1meters in diameter. ___________ | B. The VLA (Very Large Array) near Socorro, N.M. |
| 3. The largest metal-mirror reflector is the 1.83m reflector set up by the third Earl of Rosse in 1845. __________ | C. Arecibo Radio Telescope, Arecibo, Puerto Rico |
| 4. One of the world's most powerful radio telescopes consists of 27 separate mobile antennas each 25 m in diameter. The antennas are situated along a Y-shape, with each arm of the "Y" up to 20.97km long. __________ | D. Gemini North Telescope, Mauna Kea, HI |
| 5. The world's largest planetarium can seat 300 people. Its 30m-diameter dome can project over 25,00 stars at a time. ___________ | E. Special Astrophysical Observatory, Zelenchukskaya, Russia |
| 6. It weighs 850 tons and has a 6-m diameter reflector. Until late 1998, it was the largest single mirror telescope in use.___________ | F. The W. M. Keck Telescope, Mauna Kea, HI |
| 7. This 305m-diameter single dish radio telescope is used by Project Phoenix to conduct the world's most comprehensive search for extraterrestrial intelligence. ____________ | G. Ehime Prefectural Science Museum; Niihama City, Japan |
| 8. This 2 billion-dollar instrument is the most complex and sensitive space observatory ever built. It weighs 11,000kg and standing upright would look like a 5 story building. ________ | H. Edwin P. Hubble Space Telescope |
| 9. This was the first of twin 8-m telescopes that together can explore the entire northern and southern skies in optical and infrared light. It was built by an international partnership of eight nations.__________ | I. McMath-Pierce Solar Telescope; Kitt Peak, AZ |
| 10. The largest radio installation includes telescopes on the ground as well as a satellite link. It is equivalent to a radio telescope with a diameter of nearly 400,000km. _________ | J. Birr Castle Telescope; County Offaly, Ireland |
