Chapter 13.3, Problem 15R

To determine

To Explain: The largest telescopes are the reflecting telescopes.

Explanation of Solution

Introduction:

A reflector or a reflecting telescope is that which uses a single or a pair of spherical mirrors to create an image. While refracting microscope uses an objective lens and an eyepiece to form the image.

The largest telescopes are the reflecting telescopes because they have many advantages over the refracting telescopes. The failure of the lens to focus all colors at one point is called chromatic aberration. So, mirrors are much more reliable and cheaper to build on a large scale. Also, the lens in the larger telescope can bulge downwards due to its own weight.

Conclusion:

Hence, the largest telescopes are the reflecting telescopes instead of the refracting telescopes.