Yust asking.
2007-02-23 04:58:36 · 13 answers · asked by Tato 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Quote: "so accordnig to some of you we can look up into the sky with telescopes and take pictures of far away planets, but not of a flag on the moon which is relatively close in comparison?
But yes i also wonder why they don't. it shouldnt be a problem "
We can take pictures of far away planets because they are thousands and thousands of kilometers wide. The flag on the moon is probably a couple feet long and thin as cloth.
You need to understand something about how telescopes work. There is a limit to the resolution a telescope can view. Anything smaller than this resolution limit will blend in with it's surroundings. In order to get enough resolution to see the lunar lander bases on the moon from here on Earth, you would need a telescope over a kilometer wide. Grinding a mirror that large would be nearly an impossible feat. Not only that, but our atmosphere is a big limiting factor when it comes to resolving details. So, this telescope would have to be in space, which would make it that much harder to build.
Something 10 meters across at the distance of the moon subtends an angle of about 1/100th of an arcsecond. That's 1/360,000 th of a degree. Jupiter on the other hand, depending on how close it is, can subtend an angle of more than 40 arcseconds. That means Jupiter, as far away as it is, appears to us nearly 15 million times larger than the lunar lander module on the surface of the moon. That is why it is easy to look at planets and hard to see the stuff on the moon.
2007-02-23 08:58:44 · answer #1 · answered by Arkalius 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the reason you have on no account seen this variety of image is via the fact it rather is impossible to take it. there is not any optical device in the international it rather is able to resolving something that small at that distance. For that rely, via regulations of optics, neither is it even useful to construct a single device large adequate to make certain some thing that small at that distance. photos of distant planets taken from Earth-based telescopes might seem special, however the smallest element in those photos tens or 1000's of miles in the process. Take a picture of Jupiter from the Hubble area telescope as an occasion: Earth must be swallowed up with room to spare interior the large pink spot, so as that supplies you some thought of only how huge the 'smallest' element interior the image rather is.
2016-11-25 02:04:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Mars orbiter, only about 100 miles above the surface of Mars, was barely able to take a photo of one of the six-foot-wide rovers. It looked like a dot.
The Moon is a quarter million miles away from us. And the Apollo landing sites are all near the center of our view, so we'll be looking straight down, edge on, at these flags. The LEM bases would be an easier target, but not by much.
2007-02-23 05:23:49 · answer #3 · answered by skepsis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1) Why should they? Taking another picture of the 'face' on Mars didn't shut anyone up - they're not catering to conspiracy theorists. There is overwhelming evidence that we landed on the Moon. End of story.
2) Even using the Hubble telescope, we can't resolve structures on the Moon smaller than a football field. We don't have any probes in orbit. And that's a huge waste of Hubble time anyway, plus the Moon is WAY to bright to photograph.
2007-02-23 08:08:35 · answer #4 · answered by eri 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
so accordnig to some of you we can look up into the sky with telescopes and take pictures of far away planets, but not of a flag on the moon which is relatively close in comparison?
But yes i also wonder why they don't. it shouldnt be a problem
2007-02-23 06:33:08 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you need proof that we went to the moon, shine a laser at the moon when most of it is dark while looking through a telescope. The astronauts left a prism array for reflecting laser light, so you should be able to see that if you have a good laser.
2007-02-23 06:27:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The flag is too small to see from Earth.
2007-02-23 05:48:49 · answer #7 · answered by bldudas 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Imagine the camera you would need to photgraph a flag 1 mile away. Now multiply it by 250,000.
2007-02-23 05:02:11 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because there is no telescope or camera, that good (with that much resolving power) to take the picture.
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2007-02-23 05:07:32 · answer #9 · answered by tlbs101 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Whatever for, it's there and it's not going anywhere right? You might also ask NASA that. Their website is www.nasa.gov
2007-02-23 07:51:26 · answer #10 · answered by Karan 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋