Radio telescopes of modest size can't make out as much detail (have a lower resolution) than visible light telescopes. How do astronomers overcome this limitation?
A) they have built a radio telescope in the desert that completely covers 1000 square miles
B) this problem can't be solved; radio telescopes will always show poor detail
C) we can connect several radio telescopes some distance apart together electronically to give us the resolution of a larger telescope
D) we have launched a small radio telescope satellite into orbit, which (being above the atmosphere) can make out much more detail than any visible light telescope
E) the same engineers responsible for the shape of the mirror for the Hubble Space Telescope are working on this problem; stay tuned

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

By connecting several radio telescopes together electronically, astronomers can increase the size of their "virtual telescope" and achieve higher resolution. This technique is known as interferometry. Option A is not practical as it would be extremely expensive and difficult to build. Option B is incorrect as interferometry does allow for higher resolution. Option D is partially true, but it is not practical to launch numerous small radio telescopes into orbit. Option E is not a practical solution as the engineers responsible for the Hubble Space Telescope are not necessarily specialized in radio telescope technology.

Radio Telescopes of Modest Size Can't Make Out as Much