Author(s)

Zixuan Chai

Corresponding Author

Zixuan Chai

ABSTRACT

An astronomical telescope is the main instrument utilized to obtain data on celestial bodies and the universe. In this review, the development of astronomical telescopes and their scientific contributions are demonstrated based on information retrieval. The historical development of telescopes shows a trend of increasing aperture and the appearance of various telescopes, from ground to space, detecting electromagnetic radiations from radio waves to gamma-rays. With the invention of radio telescopes, astrophysicists became able to investigate the distant stars and thus the universe's evolution. Besides, the launch of rockets and satellites made space telescopes possible. Free from the block of the atmosphere, space telescopes allow scholars to conduct observations on faint objects and obtain more precise data of previously detected stars. The exponential growth of radio telescopes and periodic upgrades of instruments on space telescopes provide opportunities to test theories, e.g., the general theory of relativity and dark matter, understand galaxies' formation and evolution, and search for exoplanets, etc. To further boost the development of astronomical telescopes with a larger aperture and wider frequency range, both technical inventions and financial support are necessary. These results shed light on the future development of astronomical telescopes.

KEYWORDS

astronomical telescopes, resolving power, aperture, radio telescope, FAST, space telescope, Hubble space telescope