I know what a baseline is, but what baseline is used in astronomy? y do we need vary the length of baselines we use?
Is the baseline the diameter of the earth's orbit?
I really do not get the 2nd part.
The baseline IS the diameter of the Earth's orbit for parallax measurements. That s a way of measuring the distance of "closes" stars against a more distant star background.
There are other types of radio telescope and optical interferometric measurements in which the observations are made from telescopes that are hundreds to milliions of meters apart, simultaneously. Such measurements are capable of providing images of very high optical resolution.
thanks
In astronomy, a baseline refers to the distance or separation between two telescopes, or antenna elements of a telescope array, that are used for interferometry. Interferometry is a technique that combines the signals received by multiple telescopes to create a virtual telescope that is as large as the distance between the telescopes.
The baseline length is important because it determines the level of detail and resolution that can be achieved in astronomical observations. Longer baselines result in higher resolution and finer details in the observed objects or phenomena. This is because longer baselines provide a larger separation between the telescopes, allowing them to capture more precise information about the incoming waves of light or radio waves.
To vary the length of baselines, astronomers use different telescope configurations. They can move the telescopes farther apart or closer together, or they can use telescopes at different sites located at different distances. By changing the baseline length, astronomers can adjust the level of detail they want to observe. For example, shorter baselines may be used to study larger-scale structures like the overall shape of an object, while longer baselines are used to study finer features like small structures or fine details within an object.
To clarify, the baseline used in astronomy is not related to the diameter of the Earth's orbit. The Earth's orbit is on a much larger scale compared to the lengths of baselines used in astronomy. The baselines in astronomy are typically measured in meters to kilometers, while the Earth's orbit has a diameter of about 300 million kilometers.