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American Museum of Natural History

If you are coming to the Museum on Saturday, May 25, please use one of the following entrances: 79th Street and Central Park West, subway entrance, or Weston Pavilion (Columbus Avenue entrance). The 81st Street entrance will be closed, but the Hayden Planetarium Space Show will be shown on a normal schedule.

Telescopes: Super Views from Space

telescopes super views_thumb

It probably comes as no surprise that telescopes do a better job of collecting light and observing outer space than your eyes. But do you know why? (Hint: the answer is NOT magnification!)

Telescopes: Super Views from Space




  • More About This Resource...

    • This Moveable Museum article, available as a nine-page printable PDF file, offers a thorough, kid-friendly look at telescopes. It discusses the following four concepts in depth, and provides a reading list for further research:

      • telescopes collect and detect light, like giant eyes
      • telescopes' advantages over eyes include a larger light-collecting area, collecting light for longer periods of time, and the ability to detect wavelengths of light invisible to humans
      • different telescopes collect different wavelengths of light
      • telescopes in space avoid interference from the Earth's atmosphere

    • Completion Time

      Less than 1 period

    • Teacher Tip

      Supplement a study of astronomy with an activity drawn from this Moveable Museum article.

      1. Ask the class what they know about telescopes. How do they work? What advantages do they offer?
      2. Send students to this online article, or print copies of the essay for them to read.
      3. Have them briefly explain each of the four concepts in their own words.

    • Topic

      Astronomy

    • Subtopic

      Tools and Methods