Radio telescopes have poorer angular resolution than optical telescopes because:
A)the reflecting surfaces in radio telescopes have holes in them.
B)radio telescopes often use multiple telescopes to make observations.
C)radio is distorted more by Earth's atmosphere than visible light is.
D)the wavelength of radio waves is longer than that of visible light.
E)Radio telescopes actually have better resolution than optical telescopes.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The angular resolution of a telescope depends on the wavelength of the radiation it is observing. Shorter wavelengths (like visible light) produce better resolution than longer wavelengths (like radio waves). Since radio waves have longer wavelengths than visible light, radio telescopes have poorer angular resolution than optical telescopes. The angular resolution of a telescope is determined by the wavelength of the radiation being detected and the size of the aperture. Radio waves have a longer wavelength than visible light, which means the angular resolution will be poorer for radio telescopes, even with a large aperture.

Radio Telescopes Have Poorer Angular Resolution Than Optical Telescopes Because