Telescopes and Detectors
Telescopes and the Discovery of the Universe
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The atmosphere blocks many forms of radiation

Of all the radiation that reaches Earth from the rest of the Universe only visible light, some infrared and some radio penetrates to the ground. The rest is blocked by the atmosphere. That which does get through is often affected by the atmosphere.

Astronomers like to get above the atmosphere. They build observatories on mountain tops. They observe from balloons. They get their best views from orbiting space observatories above the atmosphere.