STAR TREK LIVE! - Ontario Science Centre

Teachers Resource Manual
Experiment: Seeing in Space
Explanation
The groups create basic reflector telescopes. A
telescope is a device used to magnify distant
objects. Astronomers use telescopes to look at
space phenomena. There are various telescopes
to collect frequencies across the electromagnetic
spectrum. Specific telescopes collect infrared,
X-rays, radio waves or microwaves.
Telescopes that collect white light are reflector
telescopes: Mirrors have a surface that reflects
light. Flat mirror surfaces reflect light at the same
angle. Curved mirrors change the angle of
reflected light. We can say it gathers light and
reflects it at a focus. You can see the reflected
image at the focus.
Isaac Newton invented this type of telescope. His
design includes a secondary, small mirror to reflect
the light from the curved mirror onto the screen.
Modern telescopes link to computers. They often
use large parabolic mirrors to focus the maximum
amount of light or radiation. We see the image on
the linked computer screen. Instead of telescopes,
Star Trek’s starships have hull sensors that collect
electromagnetic data. The starship’s sensors link to
the main bridge’s computer screen.
Seeing in Space
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