What do we mean by the diffraction limit of a telescope?
A)It describes the farthest distance to which the telescope can see.
B)It is the angular resolution the telescope could achieve if nothing besides the size of its light-collecting area affected the quality of its images.
C)It is the maximum size to which any telescope can be built.
D)It describes the maximum exposure time for images captured with the telescope.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The diffraction limit of a telescope refers to the smallest details that can be resolved in an image, based solely on the size of the telescope's light-collecting area. This is determined by the laws of diffraction, and is independent of the telescope's magnification or other factors.

What Do We Mean by the Diffraction Limit of a Telescope