Optical Telescopes

In 1609, Italian mathematician Galileo Galileo presented the first telescope. A lot has changed in telescopes since then, but some things have remained the same. Pretend you have the ability to send e-mails across time. What would you tell Galileo about the optical telescopes of today? After you have considered this question and how it relates to the content in this topic, compose an e-mail to Galileo that addresses the following questions:

1. How do modern optical telescopes work?
2. What are the major observatories and research centers for astronomy?
3. How has Galileo’s telescope shaped modern astronomy?
4. What other “cool” facts about optical telescopes do you think Galileo would particularly enjoy?

Your e-mail should include a salutation and a closing and should accurately answer the questions provided above. All of the information should be well-organized and clearly-written. Since this is a personal letter, your tone should be friendly and conversational, since Galileo is a “fellow astronomer.”

Before you begin, review the Optical Telescope E-mail Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document with your assignment submission. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you use.

Once you have completed your e-mail, please submit your work to the dropbox.