What is the fundamental dual function of a basic telescope?
Answer
Gather light and magnify the image of distant objects.
A telescope, fundamentally, is a device built to collect light and magnify the appearance of objects that are far away.

Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental dual function of a basic telescope?Where should one observe the Moon to best enhance the three-dimensional appearance of its surface features?What feature of Jupiter might be discerned with slightly larger apertures if atmospheric conditions are steady?What characteristic of Venus can still be observed by amateur astronomers, despite its thick cloud cover?The crispness of detailed planetary views is heavily dependent on what atmospheric condition?What primary strength of the telescope is necessary for successfully viewing faint deep-sky objects like distant galaxies and nebulae?Which galaxy is identified as the nearest major galactic neighbor to the Milky Way?What term describes the process where a telescope separates what seems to be a single star into its distinct, visible components?What stunning color contrast is famously revealed when resolving the double star Albireo?What critical advantage do orbiting telescopes, like the Hubble Space Telescope, possess over ground-based instruments?