Physics

Investigatory
Project

YEAR: - 2024-2025
BY- SUMIT SHAKYA
C P INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FARRUKHABAD

ACADEMIC YEAR : 2024-25

PROJECT REPORT

ON

ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE WITH ITS APPLICATIONS.

ROLL NO :

NAME : SUMIT SHAKYA

CLASS : XII

SUBJECT : PHYSICS

SUB CODE : 042

PROJECT GUIDE: Mr. NARESH KUMAR

CP INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL FBD

 C P INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOL FARRUKHABAD

CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that Master Sumit Shakya, a

student of class XII has successfully completed the
research on the below mentioned project under the
guidance of Mr. Naresh Kumar Sir (Subject
Teacher) during the year 2024-2025 in partial
fulfilment of Physics Practical Examination
conducted by AISSCE, New Delhi.

SIGNATURE OF
SIGNATURE OF
PHYSICS TEACHER EXTERNAL
EXAMINER
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the accomplishment of this project

successfully, many people have best owned
upon me their blessings and the heart
pledged support, this time I am utilizing to
thank all the people who have been
concerned with project.

I would like to thank my Physics Teacher Mr

Naresh Kumar Sir, whose valuable
guidance has been the ones that helped me
patch this project and make it full proof
success.His suggestions and his instructions
has served as the major contributor towards
the completion of the project.

Then I would like to thank my parents and

friends who have helped me with their
valuable suggestions and guidance has been
helpful in various phases of the completion
of the project.
 INDEX
1. CERTIFICATE

2. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

3. INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE OF TELESCOPE

4. WHAT IS ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE?

5. TYPES OF ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE AND ITS

APPLICATIONS.

6. PARTS OF TELESCOPE

7. WORKING PRINCIPLE OF ASTRONOMICAL

TELESCOPE

8. USES

9. FUTURE ASPECTS

10. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 IMPORTANCE OF TELESCOPE

Telescope, device used to form magnified images of

distant objects. The telescope is undoubtedly the most
important investigative tool in astronomy. It provides a
means of collecting and analysing radiation from celestial
objects, even those in the far reaches of the universe.

A telescope is an optical instrument using lenses, curved

mirrors, or a combination of both to observe distant
objects, or various devices used to observe distant objects
by their emission, absorption, or reflection of
electromagnetic radiation.

The first known practical telescopes were refracting

telescopes invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of
the 17th century, by using glass lenses. They were used
for both terrestrial applications and astronomy.

The reflecting telescope, which uses mirrors to collect and

focus light, was invented within a few decades of the first
refracting telescope. In the 20th century, many new types
of telescopes were invented, including radio telescopes in
the 1930s and infrared telescopes in the 1960s. The word
telescope now refers to a wide range of instruments
capable of detecting different regions of the
electromagnetic spectrum, and in some cases other types
of detectors.
 WHAT IS AN ASTRONOMICAL
TELESCOPE?

An Astronomical Telescope is a simple device based

on optical refraction through spherical lenses, that
is used to view heavenly bodies such as the moon,
stars and distant objects.
 TYPES OF ASTRONOMICAL
TELESCOPE AND ITS
APPLICATIONS.

1. Refracting Telescope (Refractor)

 Principle: Refracting telescopes use lenses to gather and focus
light.
 Structure:
o A large objective lens at the front of the telescope collects
light from distant objects.
o The eyepiece lens is used to magnify the image formed by
the objective lens.
 Advantages:
o Simple design and construction.
o Produces sharp, clear images with little distortion.
 Disadvantages:
o Chromatic aberration (colour distortion) because different
colours of light bend by different amounts as they pass
through the lens.
o Large lenses are heavy and expensive to manufacture.
 Uses: Best for planetary and lunar observations, as well as bright
stars.

2. Reflecting Telescope (Reflector)

 Principle: Reflecting telescopes use mirrors instead of lenses to

gather and focus light.
 Structure:
o The primary mirror gathers light and reflects it to a
secondary mirror or directly to the eyepiece.
o The secondary mirror can direct the light to an eyepiece or
camera at the side or end of the telescope.
 Advantages:
o No chromatic aberration (since mirrors do not suffer from this
issue).
 o Can be built much larger and more affordably than refractors,
making them suitable for large observatories.
 Disadvantages:
o The mirrors require regular maintenance and cleaning.
o Can suffer from spherical aberration (blurring of the image
due to incorrect mirror shape).
 Uses: Suitable for deep space observations, including galaxies and
nebulae.

3. Radio Telescope

 Principle: These telescopes detect radio waves rather than visible

light. They collect radio emissions from objects in space.
 Structure: Consists of a large parabolic dish (or array of dishes)
that focuses radio waves onto a receiver.
 Advantages:
o Can observe astronomical objects that emit radio frequencies,
such as pulsars, black holes, and cosmic microwave
background radiation.
o Not affected by the time of day or weather conditions, unlike
optical telescopes.
 Disadvantages:
o The large size of the dish makes it less portable and
expensive.
 Uses: Radio telescopes are primarily used for observing phenomena
that are invisible in the optical spectrum, like quasars, star-forming
regions, and interstellar gas clouds.

4. X-ray and Gamma-ray Telescopes

 Principle: These specialized telescopes detect high-energy

radiation like X-rays and gamma rays from astronomical sources.
 Structure: Often space-based, as Earth's atmosphere absorbs X-
rays and gamma rays, making ground-based observations
impossible.
 Advantages:
o Can observe high-energy phenomena such as black holes,
neutron stars, and supernova remnants.
 Disadvantages:
o Space-based instruments are expensive and difficult to
maintain.
 Uses: Used to study extremely hot and energetic objects in the
universe, like active galactic nuclei and exploding stars.
 PARTS OF ASTRONOMICAL
TELESCOPE

1. Objective Lens (Refracting Telescopes) / Primary Mirror

(Reflecting Telescopes)

 Objective Lens (Refractors):

o The objective lens is the primary optical element that gathers
light from distant celestial objects. It is usually a large, convex
lens that focuses light to form an image.
o Function: Collects and focuses light from distant objects to
form a real image.
 Primary Mirror (Reflectors):
o Reflecting telescopes use a concave mirror as the primary
optical element. The mirror collects light and reflects it toward
a secondary mirror or eyepiece.
o Function: Gathers and focuses light from distant objects.

2. Eyepiece

 Description: The eyepiece is a small lens that magnifies the image

formed by the objective lens or primary mirror.
 Function: It allows you to view the image formed at the focus point
of the objective lens or mirror. The eyepiece also determines the
magnification of the telescope.
 Magnification: The magnification power is determined by the focal
length of the objective and eyepiece. The formula for magnification
is:

Focal Length of Objective

Magnification =
Focal Length of Eyepiece

3. Focuser

 Description: The focuser is a mechanical device that allows fine

adjustment of the eyepiece position to focus the image.
 Function: It helps to bring the image into sharp focus by moving
the eyepiece or primary mirror (in the case of reflecting telescopes)
along the optical axis. In some telescopes, the focuser also holds the
eyepiece securely in place.

4. Mount
  Description: The mount is the support structure that holds the
optical tube and allows it to be moved smoothly to point at different
parts of the sky.
 Types of Mounts:
o Altitude-Azimuth (Up-Down, Left-Right): This mount
allows the telescope to move vertically (altitude) and
horizontally (azimuth).
o Equatorial Mount: Designed to align with the Earth's axis of
rotation, this mount allows the telescope to follow celestial
objects as the Earth rotates, making it ideal for long-duration
observations.
 Function: The mount supports the telescope and enables smooth
motion for tracking objects across the sky.

5. Secondary Mirror (in Reflecting Telescopes)

 Description: In many reflecting telescopes (like the Newtonian

reflector), a secondary mirror is used to redirect the light from the
primary mirror to the eyepiece.
 Function: It reflects the focused light from the primary mirror to an
eyepiece or camera. In Cassegrain telescopes, the secondary
mirror directs the light back through a hole in the primary mirror,
allowing for a more compact design.

6. Aperture

 Description: The aperture is the diameter of the objective lens (in

refractors) or the primary mirror (in reflectors).
 Function: The aperture determines the telescope's light-gathering
ability. A larger aperture allows the telescope to collect more light,
which improves its ability to observe faint objects and resolve finer
details.

Summary of Key Parts:

 Objective Lens / Primary Mirror: Gathers light and forms an

image.
 Eyepiece: Magnifies the image.
 Focuser: Adjusts the image for sharpness.
 Mount: Supports and moves the telescope.
 Secondary Mirror: Directs light to the eyepiece (in reflecting
telescopes).
 Aperture: Determines the light-gathering ability of the telescope.
 WORKING PRINCIPLE OF
ASTRONOMICAL TELESCOPE

An astronomical telescope consists of two convex lenses : an objective

lens O and eyepiece E. the focal length fo of the objective lens of
astronomical telescope is large as compared to the focal length fe of the
eye piece. And the aperture of objective lens O is large as compared to
that of eye piece, so that it can receive more light from distant object and
form a bright image of the distant object. Both objective lens and the eye
piece are fitted at the free ends of two sliding tubes, at a suitable distance
from each other.

The ray diagram to show the working of the astronomical telescope is

shown in figure. A parallel beam of light from a heavenly body such as
stars, planets or satellites fall on the objective lens of the telescope. The
objective lens forms a real, inverted and diminished image A’B’ of the
heavenly body. This image (A’B’) now acts as an object for the eye piece
E, whose position is adjusted so that the image lies between the focus fe’
and the optical centre C2 of the eye piece. Now the eye piece forms a
virtual, inverted and highly magnified image of object at infinity. When the
final image of an object is formed at infinity, the telescope is said to be in
‘normal adjustment’.
It should be noted that, the final image of object (such as stars, planets or
satellites) formed by an astronomical telescope is always inverted with
respect to the object. But it does not matter whether the image formed by
an astronomical telescope is inverted or not, as all the heavenly bodies
are usually spherical is shape.
Magnifying Power of an Astronomical Telescope
The Magnifying Power of a telescope is given by:
fo
m=
fe
Where, fo = Focal length of the objective lens
fe = Focal length of the eye-piece lens
And the length (L) of the tube of telescope is equal to the sum of thefocal
lengths of the objective lens and the eye piece. Thus,
L = fo + fe
 USES

1. Observing Celestial Bodies

 Stars: Telescopes help in studying the properties of stars such as their brightness,
size, distance, and composition. This leads to the understanding of stellar life cycles,
including star formation, evolution, and death (supernovae, black holes).
 Planets: Telescopes allow detailed observations of planets within our solar system.
Features such as rings, moons, and surface conditions (e.g., Mars' surface or Jupiter’s
Great Red Spot) are studied.
 Moons: Telescopes help to observe the moons of planets, especially the moons of
Jupiter and Saturn, and even minor moons around distant planets.
 Asteroids and Comets: Telescopes help track the paths of comets and asteroids,
predicting their movements and identifying potential hazards to Earth.

2. Studying Galaxies and Deep Space

 Distant Galaxies: Telescopes allow astronomers to study galaxies that are millions or
even billions of light-years away. They help in understanding galaxy formation,
structure, and evolution over cosmic time.
 Nebulae and Star Clusters: Telescopes help in observing star-forming regions (like
the Orion Nebula) and young star clusters, providing insights into how stars and
planetary systems are born.
 Cosmic Phenomena: Telescopes are essential for observing phenomena like black
holes, pulsars, quasars, and supernovae. This helps scientists understand extreme
physics and the behaviour of matter and energy in the universe.

3. Space Exploration and Satellites

 Space Telescopes: Instruments like the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb
Space Telescope provide incredibly detailed images and data about distant galaxies,
nebulae, and exoplanets. These telescopes, located outside Earth's atmosphere, avoid
atmospheric distortion and provide clearer, more accurate observations.
 Astronomical Surveys: Space-based telescopes are used in large-scale surveys, like
the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which collects vast amounts of data to study the
structure of the universe.

4. Astronomy for Education and Public Outreach

 Amateur Astronomy: Many amateur astronomers use telescopes
for stargazing, learning about the universe, and contributing to
scientific discoveries (e.g., finding new comets or supernovae).
 Educational Purposes: Telescopes are used in schools and
observatories for practical astronomy lessons, helping students
observe the night sky and learn about different celestial objects and
their properties.
 FUTURE ASPECTS
1. Advancements in Telescope Design and Technology

 Larger and More Powerful Telescopes:

As technology progresses, telescopes are expected to become even
larger, both on Earth and in space. For example, the Extremely
Large Telescope (ELT), being built by the European Southern
Observatory, will have a mirror that is 39 meters in diameter, vastly
improving the resolution of observations. The ELT will be able to
capture more detail from distant stars and galaxies.

2. Space-Based Telescopes

 James Webb Space Telescope (JWST):

Launch on 25 Dec 2021, the JWST is the successor to the Hubble
Space Telescope. It has a much larger mirror and be able to observe
distant galaxies, exoplanets, and cosmic structures in
unprecedented detail, especially in the infrared spectrum. The
JWST’s ability to look further into space will help us study the early
universe and discover potentially habitable planets.
 New Space Telescopes:
After JWST, more space telescopes are being planned to observe
different aspects of the universe. For instance, telescopes like the
Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (launching in 2027) will
focus on dark energy and exoplanet discovery.

3. Quantum Technologies and Artificial Intelligence

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning:

The future of astronomical telescopes will likely involve AI and
machine learning to process vast amounts of data. AI algorithms can
quickly analyse images, classify galaxies, or identify exoplanet
candidates in ways that would be impossible for humans to do
manually. This technology could speed up discoveries and allow
astronomers to focus on interpreting results rather than data
crunching.

4. Exploring New Frontiers: Gravitational Waves

 Gravitational Wave Telescopes:

Future telescopes will be able to detect gravitational waves,
ripples in space-time caused by massive cosmic events such as the
collision of black holes or neutron stars. The LISA (Laser
Interferometer Space Antenna) mission, set for launch in the
2030s, will be a space-based observatory for detecting gravitational
 waves from distant sources, providing new ways to study the
universe.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Physics (Part I)–Textbook for Class XII; National Council of Educational
Research and Training
 www.google.com
 www.wikipedia.org