Why can't a telescope image be magnified to show any level of detail?
A)diffraction limits the amount of detail that is visible
B)telescopes only view a small region of the sky
C)magnification depends on focal length
D)resolving power depends on wavelength

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Diffraction is a physical phenomenon that limits the amount of detail that can be seen in an image. When light passes through a small aperture, it spreads out and forms a pattern of rings around the central point. This diffraction pattern sets an ultimate limit on the resolving power of a telescope, which is the ability to distinguish two adjacent objects as separate. As magnification increases, the diffraction pattern becomes more pronounced, and the image quality degrades. Therefore, there is a limit to how much magnification can be applied to a telescope image before it becomes blurry and unrecognizable.

Why Can't a Telescope Image Be Magnified to Show Any