Telescope resolution comparison · CAP 2003 #20

Physics · optics

Problem

The Webb space telescope, scheduled to be launched in 2010, will have a mirror 6 m in diameter. Compared with the Hubble space telescope, whose mirror has a 2.4 m diameter, it will be able to resolve objects whose angular separation is about (a) 2.5 times smaller; (b) 5 times smaller; (c) an order of magnitude smaller; (d) the same: the larger mirror only increases the amount of light gathered.

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