Our textbook discusses that radio astronomers are building more and more arrays of radio telescopes, where many "dishes" are connected together. What advantage do such arrays have?
A) they can look through clouds in the Earth's atmosphere, which individual dishes can't do
B) they can allow us to split the radio waves into a spectrum, which individual dishes can't
C) they provide a higher resolution than individual dishes
D) they can be built on flat ground, while individual dishes have to built on very tall mountains
E) none of the above
Section 6.5: Observations Outside the Earth's Atmosphere

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Arrays of radio telescopes provide higher resolution than individual dishes because they can combine signals from multiple dishes, resulting in better image clarity and detail. Option A is incorrect because radio telescopes still cannot see through the Earth's atmosphere even with an array. Option B is incorrect because both individual dishes and arrays can split radio waves into a spectrum. Option D is incorrect because both individual dishes and arrays can be built on tall mountains or flat ground alike.

Our Textbook Discusses That Radio Astronomers Are Building More and More