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

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
Oh yeah, almost forgot:
The wavelength of visible light is around 550x10^-9m  (i.e. very very small).
The diameter of Hubble's mirror is 2.4m.
Highest ever physically possible resolution  = 1.4 x 550 x 10^-9 /2.4 m = 3.2 x 10^-7 radians
At a distance of 350,000km this works out as about 124 metres.    As Ed says, roughly the size of a football field.

56 posted on 01/05/2003 6:08:55 PM PST by Timesink
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | 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