b) Why are astronomers using radio telescopes looking for far stars instead of a telescope?
First of all, what is a radio telescope? The first non-visual spectral region that was used extensively for astronomical observations was the radio frequency band. Telescopes observing at these wavelengths are commonly called radio telescopes. Radio telescopes may be made much larger than optical/infrared telescopes because the wavelengths of radio waves are much longer than wavelengths of optical light. A rule of thumb is that the reflecting surface must not have irregularities larger than about 1/5 the wavelength of light that is being focused. By that criterion a radio telescope is several hundred thousand times easier to figure than an optical telescope of the same size
In the movie "Contact," astronomer Ellie Arroway, played by actress Jodie Foster, searches for signs of extraterrestrial life using massive, Earth-bound radio telescopes.
Much of Contact's scientific intrigue, based on Carl Sagan's 1985 bestseller, unfolds at two National Science Foundation-supported radio astronomy facilities where real-life astronomical mysteries continue to be probed. Scientists use the government-supported telescopes to detect radio waves not from distant civilizations but from planets, stars, galaxies and other objects in space. Radio observations extend astronomers' reach into space and time, letting them "see" through gas and dust in space to detect celestial objects whose visible light cannot be seen from Earth.
In "Contact," Foster hears the first guttural, throbbing message transmitted by other-worldly life using the world's most powerful radio telescope, the Very Large Array in Socorro, New Mexico, a collection of 27 antennas spread in a three-armed configuration across the desert. NSF’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory runs the huge dishes, which Foster manipulates in the film from her laptop computer like a high-tech, movable Stonehenge, in reality. Electronically linked to simulate a single radio telescope up to 20 miles in diameter, the antennas can be bunched together or moved apart along railroad tracks into different configurations. About 700 astronomers visit the VLA each year to observe the universe.
In "Contact," Foster gets her scientific start at another NSF-supported facility, the...
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... fastest moving man made objects in the process. If those same probes were to be launched to the stars, however, they would take thousands of years to reach them! The distances to the stars are huge So huge, in fact, that the light from the nearest star to the Sun, a triple star system known as Alpha, Beta and Proxima Centauri, takes over four and a quarter years to get here. Since, according to special relativity, nothing in the universe can travel faster than the speed of light, it would seem that travel times with even the most advanced starships are going to be extremely long indeed.
There are also highly exotic ideas, which lie on the tantalizing fringes of modern theoretical physics. If the universe is a multidimensional place with human beings only able to perceive three dimensions, perhaps a way can be found to shortcut through the 'higher' dimensions. These so-called wormholes are currently having their mathematics calculated by the theorists but if they can be utilized for travel then perhaps the entire universe will become accessible to us. Traveling to different planets may take no more time than traveling to different countries does now!
International Masters Publishers (1999). Secrets of the Universe: Your guide to the cosmos…and beyond (Category 5: Roswell incident: Rumors of a cover-up) [card]. USA: International Masters.
The sensitive instruments aboard the SOHO spacecraft have already helped scientists here on Earth discover and explain some of the mysteries of the Sun as well as to confirm some of their theories they previously held. For example, in May of 1998 with the help of the Michelson Doppler Interferometer scientists were able to see with greater clarity the giant convective cells inside and on the surface of the Sun.
In “The Great Silence” Ted Chiang presents the reader with the idea that humans and other intelligent species do live on earth. Communication between different species on earth can be difficult because they can’t express their thoughts to one another. According to a possible solution to fermi’s paradox, intelligent life would rather hide than to present themselves to potential enemies. Humans have a hard time trying to find other species to communicate with because they only focus on extraterrestrial life. Humans created the Arecibo observatory to send out signals into space and pick up any signals that could be sent by extraterrestrial life. Although Humans cannot speak directly to other species we are able to communicate with our actions and vibes.
Webb S. 2002, If the Universe is Teeming with Aliens ... Where is Everybody? (Copernicus
The universe, a vast, ever-expanding space full of mystery, just waiting to be discovered. With the mystery comes speculation; a multitude of researchers focus on one question, are there extraterrestrials out there? While highly controversial, scientists with the help of SETI have proved that this is possible. In order to be prepared for the possible ETs, researchers at SETI work constantly to find answers. Because of the growing research that Extraterrestrial Intelligence is possible, SETI, a credible organization, should receive funding from the government to continue their research.
Giuseppe Cocconi and Philip Morrison published a paper in Nature in September 1959, in which they suggest a probable frequency at which alien civilizations would attempt to communicate: 1.420 GHz. This is the frequency of electromagnetic radiation emitted by neutral Hydrogen during a change of energy state. The frequency is an important physical and astronomical value, would almost certainly be known by any civilization capable of communication, and it requires only relatively simple technology to broadcast at this frequency. As Cocconi and Morrison put it, “It is reasonable to expect that sensitive receivers for this frequency would be made at an early stage of the development of radioastronomy. That would be the expectation of the operators of the assumed source, and the present state of terrestrial instruments indeed justifies the expectation.” In other words, it makes sense that aliens would come to the same conclusion about the 1.420 GHz frequency. If the aliens want to communicate with us...
There are still numerous possibilities and crossroads that have not been discovered but could create an energy
In 1608 Hans Lippershey looked at Jupiter through a thin tube shaped object similar to a telescope. Galileo improved the telescope made by Hans in 1609 by adding a convex lens in the front. The telescope was built with a concave eyepiece and convex lenses. Telescopes were used for improving maps and figuring out the positions and motions of stars early on. Scientists believed that the bigger the lens of a telescope the better, so a man named George E. Hale had created a 100 inch telescope which was finished in 1917. Around the 1920s Edwin Hubble had looked through the telescope towards the sky and had discovered that our galaxy, the Milky Way, was not the only galaxy. He also discovered that our galaxy was expanding. Fifty years later the Hubble was funded to be built. The Hubble was supposed to be launched in 1983, but didn’t end up going into space until 1990. NASA launched the Hubb...
...eality. Our knowledge will only allow us to go so far, but we have accomplished so much in the discovery of time and space. Technology will soon advance as to where these theories could be proven and physically be possible.
Faster space travel is needed to make any new deep-space discoveries. There really are cost-effective options for space travel.
The sci-fi epic Interstellar is set at a nebulous point in the future when global crop failures threaten humanity with extinction, so a team headed by Cooper a pilot and a farmer explores exoplanets through a mysterious wormhole near Saturn. Through this wormhole, the team of explorers investigate exoplanets in hopes of finding one that could or perhaps already support life. However, Interstellar is unique that this sci-fi film is surprisingly very scientific that Kip Thorne, a renowned theoretical physicist, served as an adviser and executive producer on Interstellar. In fact, the collaboration between Thorne and the Interstellar visual effects teams were so successful that it will extend into technical papers for the astrophysics and computer-graphics
What exactly is a space probe? A space probe is an unmanned space vehicle that is designed to explore our solar system and everything in it by using very high-tech instruments. Some common instruments that you will find on a spacecraft include magnetometers, radiometers, cameras that are sensitive to infrared and ultraviolet light, and tools that can detect micrometers, cosmic rays, solar winds, and gamma rays. Space probes study structures in our solar system for various reasons. They use onboard computers to send data back to Earth. In order for these space probes to actually reach space, they must be launched with enough energy to escape the gravitational pull of the Earth. Space probes are not designed to return back to Earth.
Throughout the ages, outstanding physicists, to the movies, to some of the greatest science fiction novels of all time, have pondered the idea of time-travel. The thought of actually being able to travel to another time or universe has long since enthralled, enveloped, and overwhelmed some of the greatest minds in the history of physics. No one person can actually prove any of their theories, but a few actually make sense. Meaning that they do not violate the laws of physics. One of the main theories suggested, are wormholes. Wormholes are considered to connect two regions of flat space-time, two universes, or two parts of the same universe. There is a lot of theoretical evidence that wormholes exist, with an equal amount of evidence that they do not exist. However, no matter what one’s belief is, the existence of wormholes still makes you wonder…
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.