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Just as optical astronomers observe the visible light emitted by objects such as

ID: 112550 • Letter: J

Question

Just as optical astronomers observe the visible light emitted by objects such as stars and galaxies, radio astronomers can also observe the radio waves emitted by these objects, as well as the radio waves emitted by gas and dust. However, radio telescopes are different from optical telescopes in important ways. In general, radio telescopes are bigger more likely to be in populated locations smaller more likely to be in remote locations than optical telescopes because there are no glass mirrors or lenses like in optical telescopes. radio wavelengths are much shorter than optical wavelengths. human activity does not affect their operation. radio wavelengths are much longer than optical wavelengths.

Explanation / Answer

radio telescopes are bigger than optical telescopes becasue radio wavelengths are much longer than optical wavelengths

The longer wavelengths means that radio waves have lower energy than optical light waves, in order to collect enough radio photons to detect a signal, the radio dishes must be very large.