Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: JesseShurun
Why can't Hubble see it? Is it in the correct orbit? Is it able to focus at Moon-type distances?

Coordinates, and Earth-based telescopes should be able to do it.

42 posted on 01/05/2003 5:56:06 PM PST by Frohickey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 39 | View Replies ]


To: Frohickey
Why can't Hubble see it? Is it in the correct orbit? Is it able to focus at Moon-type distances?

Snarfed from another web site:

Size of Lunar Module.   Let's be really generous and say 10m square.
Distance between Hubble and Moon.  About 350, 000km.
This works out as an visual angle of     (10m)/(3.5 x 10^8m) * (180/PI) = 1.6 x 10^-6 degrees = 6 milliarcseconds.
The WFPC2 'telescope' on Hubble has the following resolution:   800x800 pixels of a 35 arcseconds field of view with a pixel scale of 46 milliarcseconds.   Actually resolution in practice is a little below this.

So what does this all mean?  Well, roughly speaking, it means that the LM would have to be 15 times larger before it would even cause a dot on a Hubble picture.

Quite simple, really.
53 posted on 01/05/2003 6:06:52 PM PST by Timesink
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies ]

To: Frohickey; Timesink
Why can't Hubble see it?

Heard someplace that the Hubble's tracking is too slow. The Moon is too fast. The few Hubble pictures of the Moon were
just point where its going to be and start snapping, as it were.

So, to try to get even a specific 100m2 area...

126 posted on 01/05/2003 7:58:05 PM PST by Calvin Locke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies ]

To: Frohickey
I think the problem with trying to view with the hubble is that the lens would fry if it was exposed to the bright light from the moon. It is pretty sensitive, I know they cant point it at the sun or we would have a 6 billion dollar space lump...
211 posted on 01/06/2003 7:20:07 AM PST by Mr. K
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson