Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system, is 4.3 light years away. Assume that Alpha Centauri has a planet with an advanced civilization. Professor Dhg, at the planet’s Astronomical Institute, wants to build a telescope with which he can find out whether any planets are orbiting our sun. a. What is the minimum diameter for a n objective lens that will just barely resolve Jupiter and the sun? The radius of Jupiter’s orbit is 780 million km. Assume λ=600nm. b. Building a telescope of the necessary size does not appear to be a major problem. What practical difficulties might prevent Professor Dhg’s experiment from succeeding?

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Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system, is 4.3 light years away. Assume that Alpha Centauri has a planet with an advanced civilization. Professor Dhg, at the planet’s Astronomical Institute, wants to build a telescope with which he can find out whether any planets are orbiting our sun.   a. What is the minimum diameter for a n objective lens that will just barely resolve Jupiter and the sun? The radius of Jupiter’s orbit is 780 million km. Assume λ=600nm.   b. Building a telescope of the necessary size does not appear to be a major problem. What practical difficulties might prevent Professor Dhg’s experiment from succeeding?

cyhuddwyr9 · Accepted Answer

a) ɵɵ=1.9297⋅10−5  b) d=3.8cm

Alpha Centauri, the nearest star to our solar system, is 4.3 light years away. Assume that Alpha Centauri has a planet with an advanced civilization.

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