What practical necessity leads to extremely long integration times, sometimes exceeding twenty-four hours, when observing $ ext{Sgr B2}$?
Answer
Collecting enough faint signal from light that has traveled tens of thousands of light-years
Observing $ ext{Sagittarius B2}$ requires extremely long integration times, sometimes spanning over an entire day, due to the immense distance the light must travel from the Galactic Center through the dense disc of the galaxy to reach us. Photons arriving from this remote location have been constantly absorbed and re-emitted by intervening matter, resulting in a very faint signal. To achieve a usable signal-to-noise ratio necessary to resolve fine details like protostars or subtle chemical signatures, instruments must continuously collect light over these extended periods, building up the faint signal pixel by pixel.
Related Questions
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