Expert: Paul Wagner - 4/12/2007

Question
A simple debate arose. here is the topic of the debate, if a star burnt out and stopped sending a light source and there was two people watching the star before it burnt out. one observer looking with his normal vision and a another observer looking at it with a telescope (any kind of telescope, high powered etc.) would the observer with the telescope see it before the other? Or would they see it at the same time?

Answer
Hi Marc

They would see it at the same time.  The telescope collects light the same way your eye does...it just collects a lot MORE light.  So it doesn't see farther, it just sees better.

Actually, if it were a reflecting telescope, that observer would see things just a tiny fraction of a second AFTER the naked eye observer--because the light would have to hit the mirror, then bounce back into the eyepiece and eye of the observer.  The naked eye observer would get the light directly from the star...

Paul Wagner