What is the advantage of a space telescope over a similar instrument on earth?

Question

What is the advantage of a space telescope over a similar instrument on earth?

Answer 1

The atmosphere and light pollution degrades the image on earth.  I suppose in theory you could have larger lenses in space without the weight.

Answer 2

telescopes in outer space don't have to worry about earth's atmosphere being in the way, as well as the awful city glow i get in my backyard. telescopes in orbit, or a telescope that could be placed on the moon, don't have to work around clouds, or the atmosphere, or the glow of modern civilization. they can see pure images in space that we just can't get on earth.

Answer 3

Think about it a bit.  Its not too hard to figure out.

On the surface, you are at the bottom of hundreds of kilometers of air.  You can have clouds.  You can have rain or storms.   Half of the time you have sunlight.  You can have turbulence in the atmosphere making the stars twinkle.  The atmosphere absorbs some starlight, so not all the light from an object in space actually makes it to the ground.

Some wavelengths are blocked completely by our atmosphere (such as xrays).

In space, none of that matters.

No rain, no clouds, no "daytime", no atmosphere blocking anything.

Answer 4

bigger lenses  

don't have to look through earth's atmosphere  



no light pollution

Answer 5

Electromagnetic radiation of many kinds does not reach earths surface due to atmosphere. Gama rays,X tays,infra red,UV rays etc.Also the atmosphere distorts the immages.All these can be solved if you can maintain a telscope at Earth orbit or in outer space.