Programme For International Student Assessment Pisa / Sample Science Passage 9: Starlight


Toshio likes to look at stars. However, he cannot observe stars very well at night because  he lives in a large city. 
Last year Toshio visited the countryside where he observed a large number of stars that  he cannot see when he is in the city. 



Toshio uses a telescope with a large diameter lens in order to observe stars of low brightness. Why does using a telescope with a large diameter lens make it possible to observe stars of low brightness?

The larger the lens the more light is collected.
Larger lenses can detect the dark colours in stars.
Larger lenses allow more of the sky to be seen.
The larger the lens the more it magnifies.

Why can many more stars be observed in the countryside than in large cities?

The air is warmer in cities due to heat emitted by cars, machinery and houses.
The brightness of city lights makes many stars hard to see.
The moon is brighter in cities and blocks out the light from many stars.
There is more dust to reflect light in country air than in city air.

 
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