If "Laser pointers" are dangerous if pointed in your eye, do ...?

Question

Do you think it's possible to see the laser light if pointed to outer space? Like for example, the guys up there in the shuttle, do you think they could see the light from the laser pointer if we pointed it straight up?

Answer 1

Lasers are dangerous, but pointers aren't really. A pointer is only a class 2 laser.

Class 1: CD players etc. Very weak, not really visible, not hazardous unless yu hold your eyelids open and stare directly at it for a long time (blink reaction saves your eyes)

Class 2: Laser pointers. Visible Laser. Could be hazardous, but eye reaction (blink) protects eye

Class 3A: All light spectra. If using optical viewing (eg telescope/binoculars) could cause eye damage, but blink reaction protects eye.

Class 3B: All wavelengths. Hazardous to eyes (penetrates eyelids) Not dangerous to skin.

Class 4: Military grade lasers (eg Laser designation on aircraft). Very dangerous. Burns eyes (ruptures blood vessels at back of eyes. Last image you see is red) and skin. Reflected beam is also dangerous. Can ignite combustibles

Class 5: Naval heavy lasers: Even more dangerous than class 4!

If you had a class 4 or 5 pointer (a bit bulky to fit in your pocket, a class 4 is the size of a small beer barrel!), an astronaut could possibly see it with the correct visual system. (Class 4 and 5 invisible to the naked eye) A class 2 pointer is too small. It would be like shining a maglite and expecting someone on the horizon to see it.

Answer 2

First of all, class 1, 2 and 3 lasers won't do damage to the eye unless you stare into them. A laser pointer pointed directly at the shuttle would probably be quite visible to those on-board. It would be harmless to point a laser pointer at the space shuttle but be advised that it is a felony to point a laser at an aircraft (it can temporarily blind the pilot.).

Answer 3

Not standard "laser pointers". The laser pointers that you would have access to are not powerful enough and don't have specialized enough optics to have enough intensity at that kind of a distance. If you notice, the further back you stand, the larger the dot gets. That is because of the light dispersing. In addition, the larger the dot is, the dimmer it is at any given point. (For example...lightly draw 10 pencil lines -- they are darker if they over lap than if they are further apart).

Airplanes on take-off and landing is another story, and pilots have been temporary blinded from lasers being blasted into airplanes (the blindness being more than momentarily -- as in days+). As such, it is highly illegal and is punished severely if that is done.
It is my understanding that has been done with small lasers (like the kind you buy in stores) and specially designed/more powerful lasers (for the intent of causing crashes and hurting people).

Also, it is that there is quite a bit of intensity of a tight wavelength that makes lasers lasers...and dangerous (like microwaves...you see what they do to liquid...imagine doing that to the inside of your eye).

Answer 4

relies upon on the physician. Do your study. Ask the position they went to medical college. with somewhat of luck it replaced right into a particularly accepted college that you've a minimum of heard of before. Ask pals which have had the technique finished. I did fairly some study for mine and am pleased with the outcomes. besides the undeniable fact that, I do have a "movie star burst" outcome in my left eye that bothers me somewhat at evening. I had PRK via my corneas being too skinny to help LASIK. in the experience that your corneas are too skinny then PRK is a thanks to bypass besides the undeniable fact that it truly is extra extreme priced. known, do exactly your study on your physician.

Answer 5

yes, if it's powerful enough.

NASA forked out huge amounts of cash to get a big green laser to make a nice little dot on the moon once.

Money well spent i tell ya ;)

Answer 6

Yeah. they would most probably damage the cells of your retina if pointed correctly. B careful.

Answer 7

do you have any home made movies of you in action that you could send me? thanks.