Different types of telescopes used in modern astronomy

Physics - Astronomy and Space Science 1
Name:
Course:
Tutor:
Date:

Physics - Astronomy and Space Science 2
Different types of telescopes used in the modern astronomy
The world of astronomy has diverged and development of telescopes has been done to meet the
specific needs. Some of the telescopes used include;
1. Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP)
This is a NASA Explorer mission which was done to make fundamental measurements of
cosmology. The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe dictates that the cosmic microwave
background and temperature is measured accurately. The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy
Probe uses the differential microwave radiometers to measure the temperature between two sky
points.
2. James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)

Physics - Astronomy and Space Science 3
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope which has improved resolution power
and is widely used in astronomy and cosmology. The telescope utilizes 18 hexagonal mirrors and
is able to observe low frequency range and long wavelength light through the infrared. The
telescope must be kept in the cold to be able to observe the infrared without interferences.
3. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for visible light
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space telescope, which observes in visible regions. The
telescope is outside the earth’s orbit and this allows it to take high resolution images compared to
ground based telescopes. The telescope makes one orbit around the earth once every 95 minutes.

Physics - Astronomy and Space Science 4
4. Hubble Space Telescope (HST) for Ultraviolet light
The HST has also been able to reveal images in the ultraviolet range. The structure of the
galaxies which exist in this range has been observed in the HST telescope. The images through
the telescope are much clear that the blurring images from ground based telescopes.