astronomy

Orion (space telescope)

Orion (space telescope) is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Orion (space telescope) rather than just read about it. In short: The Orion space telescopes were a series of two instruments flown aboard Soviet spacecraft during the 1970s to conduct ultraviolet spectroscopy of stars. Orion 1 The Orion 1 space astrophysical observatory was installed in the orbital station Salyut 1.

Key takeaways

Orion (space telescope) belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Orion (space telescope) to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Orion (space telescope) from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Orion space telescopes were a series of two instruments flown aboard Soviet spacecraft during the 1970s to conduct ultraviolet spectroscopy of stars.

Orion 1 The Orion 1 space astrophysical observatory was installed in the orbital station Salyut 1. It was designed by Grigor Gurzadyan of Byurakan Observatory in Armenia, USSR. It was operated in June 1971 by crew member Viktor Patsayev, who thus became the first man to operate a telescope outside the Earth's atmosphere. Spectrograms of stars Vega and Beta Centauri between wavelengths 2000 and 3800 Å were obtained.

Specifications Ultraviolet telescope Optical system: Mersenne Spectrograph: Wadsworth Diameter of primary mirror: 280 mm Focal length: 1400 mm Spectral range: 2000–3800 Å Spectral resolution at wavelength 2600 Å: 5 Å Film: UFSh 4, width 16 mm, range of sensitivity: 4000–2500 Å, resolution better 130 lines/mm Cartridge capacity: 12m Stabilization: two-stage, inertial First stage: three-axis inertial stabilization of station Salyut 1; Fine guidance: via a star with accuracy 15 arcsec on each axis. Star sensor: of semi-disk (diameter of input: 70 mm; focal length: 450 mm), limiting stellar magnitude 5m. Mass: 170 kg

Orion 2 Orion 2 was installed onboard Soyuz 13 in December 1973, a spacecraft modified to become the first manned space observatory. The observatory was operated by crew member Valentin Lebedev. The designer of the observatory was Grigor Gurzadyan, then at Garni Space Astronomy Laboratory in Armenia. Ultraviolet spectrograms of thousands of stars to as faint as 13th stellar magnitude were obtained by a wide-angle meniscus telescope. The first satellite UV spectrogram of a planetary nebula (IC 2149) was obtained, revealing spectral lines of aluminum and titanium - elements not previously observed in planetary nebula. Two-photon emission in that planetary nebula and a remarkable star cluster in Auriga were also discovered.

Specifications Telescope: meniscus, Cassegrain (-Maksutov) system with an objective prism Primary mirror: 300 mm Focal length: 1000 mm Field of view: 5° Registration of spectrograms: film KODAK 103UV, diameter: 110 mm Spectral resolution: 8-29 Å at 2000-3000 Å Two star sensor sets: each containing a two-coordinate star sensor coaxial to telescope and one-coordinate one, in 45° to telescope axis. Two additional sidereal spectrographs. Three-axes guidance system accuracy: better than 5 arcsec on two cross-sectional axes of telescope (via star А), and better than 30 arcsec at optical axis (star B) Star sensors: input apertures: 80 and 60 mm; focal lengths: 500 and 240 mm; limiting stellar magnitudes: 3.5 and 3.0 m. Mass: 240 kg (telescope: 205 kg) Mass returned to Earth (cartridges): 4.3 kg

References

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Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Orion (space telescope)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Orion (space telescope) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Orion (space telescope) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Orion (space telescope) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Orion (space telescope)

In research: Orion (space telescope) appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Orion (space telescope) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Orion (space telescope) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1971 in spaceflight, 1973 in spaceflight, Crewed space observatories, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Orion (space telescope) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Orion (space telescope) in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Orion (space telescope) means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Orion (space telescope) out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Orion (space telescope) in simple terms?

The Orion space telescopes were a series of two instruments flown aboard Soviet spacecraft during the 1970s to conduct ultraviolet spectroscopy of stars. Orion 1 The Orion 1 space astrophysical observatory was installed in the orbital station Salyut 1.

Why does Orion (space telescope) matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Orion (space telescope)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Orion (space telescope).