Telescope Resolution: Sharper Eyes
draft readiness: experimental Telescopes Both 10 min
Core demo behavior is implemented, but parity and launch-gate signoff are still pending.
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Predict
Predict
If you keep magnification fixed but increase aperture, what changes: brightness, resolution, or both?
Play
Play
- Compare two apertures and note what details become distinguishable.
- Try to separate a close pair; record the threshold where it becomes possible.
- Compare the effect of changing magnification vs changing aperture.
Explain
Explain
Explain why resolution is limited and why aperture matters for detail.
Learning goals
- Distinguish magnification from resolution.
- Explain how aperture affects the ability to separate close objects.
- Connect resolution limits to diffraction qualitatively.
Misconceptions targeted
- More magnification always shows more detail.
Model notes
- Diffraction-limited scaling: $\\theta_\\mathrm{diff} \\approx 1.22\\,\\lambda/D$ (converted to arcseconds for readouts).
- Atmosphere (toy model): seeing can dominate over diffraction; AO reduces the seeing contribution in the demo.
- The Copy Results export includes diffraction limit, effective resolution, and resolved/marginal/unresolved status (with explicit units).
About this demo
This demo shows how telescope resolution depends on wavelength and aperture, and how atmospheric seeing can blur images from the ground.