--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Astronomers are obsessed with building…" description: "\"Astronomers are obsessed with building larger and larger telescopes. There are two promises that we make with bigger telescopes: that they can see fain..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/andrea-m-ghez-26557_because_astronomers-are-obsessed-with-building-l_529232.jpg" --- # Astronomers are obsessed with building larger and larger… ![“Astronomers are obsessed with building larger and larger telescopes. There are two promises that we make with bigger telescopes: that they can see fainter things and that they see more detail. But it's been really hard to follow through on that second promise because of atmospheric distortion.” quote by Andrea M. Ghez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/andrea-m-ghez-26557_because_astronomers-are-obsessed-with-building-l_529232.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/andrea-m-ghez-26557_because_astronomers-are-obsessed-with-building-l_529232.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef8/andrea-m-ghez-26557_because_astronomers-are-obsessed-with-building-l_529232.jpg) > “Astronomers are obsessed with building larger and larger telescopes. There are two promises that we make with bigger telescopes: that they can see fainter things and that they see more detail. But it's been really hard to follow through on that second promise because of atmospheric distortion.” [Andrea M. Ghez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-m-ghez/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Larger telescopes promise fainter and sharper views, but atmospheric distortion limits detail. **In simple terms:** Big telescopes face atmospheric limits. Key Takeaway Invest in adaptive optics. Themes astronomy technology observation Mood optimistic analytical Type scientific technical When to use this quote - ground‑based observatories - space missions - educational outreach Key Concepts optics resolution atmospheric physics Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance size and clarity? - What future tech could overcome distortion? A Different Perspective Space telescopes avoid atmospheric issues but are costly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Astronomers Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronomers-obsessed-4450340/) [Because](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/because/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Bigger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger/) [Bigger Telescopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigger-telescopes-4450337/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Detail](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/detail/) [Distortion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/distortion/) [Follow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow/) [Follow through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/follow-through/) [Hard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hard/) [Larger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger/) [Larger Telescopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger-telescopes-4450338/) [Make](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/make/) [More](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/more/) [Obsessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obsessed/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Promises](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promises/) [Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/really/) [Second](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/second/) [See](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/see/) [Telescopes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telescopes/) [Telescopes Fainter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/telescopes-fainter-4450339/) [Things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Two](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/two/) ## Related quotes > [The Keck telescope, which is the largest in the world, had opened just before I began my faculty position at UCLA.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-m-ghez/the-keck-telescope-which-is-the-largest-in-the-world-had-opened-just/) [Andrea M. 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And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-m-ghez/the-key-to-proving-that-there-s-a-black-hole-is-showing-that-there-s/) [Andrea M. Ghez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-m-ghez/) > [We have this interesting problem with black holes. What is a black hole? It is a region of space where you have mass that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-m-ghez/we-have-this-interesting-problem-with-black-holes-what-is-a-black/) [Andrea M. Ghez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-m-ghez/) > [The key to proving that there's a black hole is showing that there's a tremendous amount of mass in a very small volume. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-m-ghez/the-key-to-proving-that-there-s-a-black-hole-is-showing-that-there-s-2/) [Andrea M. Ghez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-m-ghez/) > [Fortunately, most things around the supermassive black hole are just going to go around it. They're going to orbit it. 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Ghez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-m-ghez/) [Explore all 21 Andrea M. Ghez quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-m-ghez/) ## More Because quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [I gave my archive to Emory University because there's a really dear friend who teaches there, Rudolph Byrd, and he's the editor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-walker/i-gave-my-archive-to-emory-university-because-there-s-a-really-dear/) [Alice Walker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-walker/) > [Because of the womb being a central phenomenon in the feminine body, the whole psychology of woman differs: she is non-aggressive, non-inquiring, non-questioning, non-doubting,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rajneesh/because-of-the-womb-being-a-central-phenomenon-in-the-feminine-body/) [Rajneesh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rajneesh/) > [I love casting against type and doing things you wouldn't expect, because I think you get more interesting performances that way. 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