Beginners Guide to the Universe 7th Edition by
Chaisson – Complete Test Bank for Astronomy A
| Verified Questions and Correct Answers | 2025
Updated Edition
Astronomy: A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe, 7e (Chaisson/McMillan)
Chapter 3 Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy
1) The simplest reflector telescope design is the
prime focus reflector. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
2)Galileo is credited with designing the first
reflector telescope. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
3) Chromatic aberration affects reflector telescopes.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
4)All optical telescopes will bring the light from
a star to a focus. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
5)A telescope design that uses a lens and no
mirrors is a refractor. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
,6)CCD detectors gather light 10-20 times faster than the most
sensitive photographic film. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
7) A Newtonian reflector needs no secondary mirror.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
8) The Hubble Space Telescope gives us its best resolution with X-rays.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
9) The Cass grain reflector needs a primary concave main mirror and a
smaller, convex secondary mirror to reflect light back through a hole in the
primary.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
10) Photography with film is still the preferred way of capturing fine
detail in the faintest, most distant galaxies.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
11) The light-gathering ability of a telescope is most dependent on the
diameter of its primary objective. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.2
12) Mt. Palomar’s 200″ Hale telescope is the largest reflector now in service.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.2
,13) A telescope with an 8-inch mirror will collect twice as much light
as one with a 4-inch mirror. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 3.2
14)The 400″ Keck reflector can see objects 100 times fainter than the 40″ Yerkes
lens.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 3.2
15)Radio telescopes have poorer angular resolution than optical telescopes
because radio waves have a much longer wavelength than optical waves.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.2, 3.4
16) All modern large optical
telescopes are refractors. Answer:
FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.2
17) Stars do not twinkle; the instability of the
atmosphere causes this effect. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.3
18) The opacity of the atmosphere is partially
corrected via adaptive optics. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.3
19) In the future, adaptive optics will greatly enhance the resolution of
the Hubble Space Telescope. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3
, Section Ref.: 3.3, 3.1
20)Optical telescopes are usually used only at night, but radio telescopes can be
used day or night. Answer:
TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.4
21)The Earth’s atmosphere is the major factor limiting the use of ground-based
radio telescopes. Answer:
FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.4
22) Optical interferometry is more in use than
radio interferometry. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.4
23) Radio astronomy can only be done from up in space,
due to our ionosphere. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.4
24) Like radio and optical astronomy, infrared astronomy is easily done
with ground-based telescopes. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.5
25)Due to our ozone layer, ultraviolet astronomy must be done from space.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.5
Chaisson – Complete Test Bank for Astronomy A
| Verified Questions and Correct Answers | 2025
Updated Edition
Astronomy: A Beginner’s Guide to the Universe, 7e (Chaisson/McMillan)
Chapter 3 Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomy
1) The simplest reflector telescope design is the
prime focus reflector. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
2)Galileo is credited with designing the first
reflector telescope. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
3) Chromatic aberration affects reflector telescopes.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
4)All optical telescopes will bring the light from
a star to a focus. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
5)A telescope design that uses a lens and no
mirrors is a refractor. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
,6)CCD detectors gather light 10-20 times faster than the most
sensitive photographic film. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.1
7) A Newtonian reflector needs no secondary mirror.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
8) The Hubble Space Telescope gives us its best resolution with X-rays.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
9) The Cass grain reflector needs a primary concave main mirror and a
smaller, convex secondary mirror to reflect light back through a hole in the
primary.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
10) Photography with film is still the preferred way of capturing fine
detail in the faintest, most distant galaxies.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.1
11) The light-gathering ability of a telescope is most dependent on the
diameter of its primary objective. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.2
12) Mt. Palomar’s 200″ Hale telescope is the largest reflector now in service.
Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.2
,13) A telescope with an 8-inch mirror will collect twice as much light
as one with a 4-inch mirror. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 3.2
14)The 400″ Keck reflector can see objects 100 times fainter than the 40″ Yerkes
lens.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 3
Section Ref.: 3.2
15)Radio telescopes have poorer angular resolution than optical telescopes
because radio waves have a much longer wavelength than optical waves.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.2, 3.4
16) All modern large optical
telescopes are refractors. Answer:
FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.2
17) Stars do not twinkle; the instability of the
atmosphere causes this effect. Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.3
18) The opacity of the atmosphere is partially
corrected via adaptive optics. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.3
19) In the future, adaptive optics will greatly enhance the resolution of
the Hubble Space Telescope. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 3
, Section Ref.: 3.3, 3.1
20)Optical telescopes are usually used only at night, but radio telescopes can be
used day or night. Answer:
TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.4
21)The Earth’s atmosphere is the major factor limiting the use of ground-based
radio telescopes. Answer:
FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.4
22) Optical interferometry is more in use than
radio interferometry. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.4
23) Radio astronomy can only be done from up in space,
due to our ionosphere. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 2
Section Ref.: 3.4
24) Like radio and optical astronomy, infrared astronomy is easily done
with ground-based telescopes. Answer: FALSE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.5
25)Due to our ozone layer, ultraviolet astronomy must be done from space.
Answer: TRUE
Diff: 1
Section Ref.: 3.5
