An astronomer who is observing visible light from a glowing cloud of gas in space uses an instrument which contains a grating with thousands of grooves on its surface. What will this instrument allow our astronomer to do?
A) take photos with much higher resolution
B) spread out the light from the cloud into a spectrum
C) observe radio waves from the cloud at the same time as visible light
D) turn a reflector into a refractor
E) listen to rock and roll music from the 1960's
Section 6.4: Radio Telescopes

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A grating with thousands of grooves on its surface is a type of diffraction grating, which can separate light into its component colors (spectrum). Therefore, this instrument will allow the astronomer to spread out the light from the cloud into a spectrum, which can be used to determine the chemical composition, temperature, and other properties of the gas.

An Astronomer Who Is Observing Visible Light from a Glowing