is it theoretically possible to make a super telescope ?

Question

I mean something that would be able to see a rock on a planet in another galaxy.

Answer 1

na coz of the atmospheric distortion, thats why they use radio telescopes

Answer 2

There has been some possibilities as to whether a super-telescope could be made. The answer is yes. With the right costs and space the telescope would be completed. You need the space because you would need thousand and thousand of lens inside it thus taking up alot of space. The approaximate cost of this supreme magnify would be around the total of $1million-lenses dont come cheap you know.

Answer 3

that would have to be one hell of a wide telescope. The problem lies in the dispersion of light. Imagine how much light hits a rock on Earth for you to see it, Trillions and trillions of lights rays to make up the picture of a little rock, you somehow need to collect all of these rays that have dispersed over years of space travel in one place.

Its practically and theoretically impossible, you would need a telescope the size of a planet at least just to know if what you are seeing is a planet let alone a rock on it.

Answer 4

its all about collection of light so given perfect conditions and a infinate amount of time you could just about pick up enough photons of light from a given reflective source to make a composite image.

but (you knew it was coming) the reflector for the telescope would have to be huge i mean realy big and optically perfect (unlike the hubble) the dust in interstella space would have to shift out of the way for a while so every available photon could be collected and the tracking system would have to be the most accurate thing ever to track a planet orbiting another star at several light years distance and accounting for the orbit of it around the star and if in orbit around the earth then that as well.

yes it can be conceived but the technology to create this kind of device is just not there yet to my understanding but who knows whats going to be developed tommorrow?

cool question

Answer 5

Oh, John - I fail you.
In that optically, the best that I can do is this WW1 officers telescope, hooked to a 100* mag digi-cam thing, which gives me a dodgy picture of stuff that they left on our moon.
However, I have had a peep through he Hubl;e jobby, but that only shows me things like mountains on Mars.
I fear that if you want a close up look, you will have to get closer.
Such is space exploration !
Bob.

Answer 6

would it be possible to use something other than visible light? Perhaps infra-red or radar or one of the more exotic radiations they keep finding.

Answer 7

i have one that can see what you r talking about