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EXERCISE 11

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energy: TOC for Knowledge Concepts, Exercises, and Solutions


A typical deep space radio telescope used to receive telemetry
from spacecraft is about 35 meters in diameter.

(a) Using your answer from Exercise 10, Part (c) above, compute the energy 
that such a radio telescope would have received from Voyager 2 in one hour.

(b) A 25-watt incandescent light bulb has a luminosity of about
1.3 watts in visible light.  How far away from such a light
bulb must you stand to receive the same amount of flux in visible 
light that the radio telescope in Part (a) above received in 
radio light?  Express your answer in km or miles.  

(c) About how much luminosity from light bulb in Part (b) above
would you collect into one of your eyes?  Remember that 
your collecting area is the size of your pupil; measure or 
estimate that size as accurately as you can.