Question

problems and solutions
some telescopes were incredibly long—up to 20 or 30 feet! to move and position them, astronomers built rigs with pulleys and masts. however, even a slight vibration—like wind or a passing vehicle—could cause the telescope to wobble and lose focus.
through trial and error, astronomers began building observatories—special structures that housed telescopes. these observatories protected the telescopes from environmental factors like wind and temperature changes, improving the quality of the images they captured.
—windows to the universe: revolutions in astronomy
which choice correctly identifies the problem in the passage?
○ telescopes were too short to capture distant images clearly.
○ vibrations and environmental factors caused telescopes to lose focus.
○ astronomers lacked the abilities to build telescopes.
○ observatories were not large enough to house advanced telescopes.

Explanation:

The passage states that slight vibrations from wind or passing vehicles made telescopes wobble and lose focus, which was the problem solved by building observatories. The other options do not match the text: telescopes were long (not short), astronomers could build rigs/telescopes, and observatories were built to house telescopes successfully.

Answer:

Vibrations and environmental factors caused telescopes to lose focus.