Astronomical Instruments (Telescopes, Spectroscopes) MCQs

1. What is the primary purpose of a telescope?
(A) To measure time
(B) To detect sound waves from space
(C) To magnify and collect light from distant celestial objects
(D) To observe microscopic organisms

2. What are the two main types of optical telescopes?
(A) Infrared and ultraviolet
(B) Reflecting and refracting
(C) Newtonian and Lagrangian
(D) Radio and X-ray

3. Who is credited with building the first practical telescope for astronomy?
(A) Isaac Newton
(B) Galileo Galilei
(C) Johannes Kepler
(D) Edwin Hubble

4. What is the primary function of a spectroscope in astronomy?
(A) To magnify objects
(B) To measure distance
(C) To analyze the light spectrum of celestial objects
(D) To detect gravitational waves

5. Which part of the telescope gathers light?
(A) Eyepiece
(B) Diagonal mirror
(C) Objective lens or primary mirror
(D) Mount

6. What information can astronomers obtain using a spectroscope?
(A) Sound frequency
(B) Temperature and chemical composition of stars
(C) Magnetic fields of planets
(D) Rotation speed of Earth

7. What kind of telescope is the Hubble Space Telescope?
(A) Radio telescope
(B) Refracting telescope
(C) Reflecting telescope
(D) Infrared telescope

8. Why are many large telescopes built on mountaintops?
(A) For better wind conditions
(B) To reduce the distance to stars
(C) To avoid city lights and atmospheric disturbances
(D) To access solar power

9. Which type of telescope can detect objects that do not emit visible light?
(A) Optical telescope
(B) Refracting telescope
(C) Radio telescope
(D) Prism telescope

10. What is an advantage of space-based telescopes over Earth-based ones?
(A) Larger lenses
(B) Cheaper to maintain
(C) No atmospheric distortion
(D) Easier to repair