was interesting it mentioned the ASL on telescopes but it didn't explain what an ASL is exactly, or what ASL stands for does anyone know?
Thank you
2007-05-11 08:36:23 · 5 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
I assumed the ASL was some functioning part on the telescope it said the telescope had beenhaving a problem with the ASL
2007-05-11 08:47:27 · update #1
You mentioned a telescope having a problem in your question..
If you are referring to the Hubble Space Telescope, it's the Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). After about 5 years of service, the ACS suffered a malfunction and lost a lot of its capability. That was to be expected though, because the ACS was designed to last about that long.
On the next shuttle servicing mission, they will be installing a new camera called WFC3 (Wide Field Camera 3), which is supposed to be even better than the ACS. So stay tuned!
2007-05-11 09:19:40 · answer #1 · answered by thddspc 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am just guessing since I haven't seen the article, but...
If ASL really does mean Above Sea Level, then maybe the article was about one of the fancy new computerized telescopes that has GPS (Global Positioning System) built in. The computer needs to know where on Earth you are in order to find and track objects in the sky. Computerized telescopes without GPS will ask you where on Earth you are but the GPS equipped telescope will simply use GPS to figure out where it is. My understanding is that if you tell the GPS the altitude, it can compute a more accurate longitude and latitude. Maybe it is related to that.
2007-05-11 09:21:55 · answer #2 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A.S.L. = Above Sea Level
The higher a telescope is the less atmosphere it must look through to see out. The atmosphere is not completely transparent as you might thing. It causes images to ripple and blur something like looking up from the bottom of a pool. The Atmosphere also absorbs some light. So the less gas your looking trough the better.
The reason the we get such good pictures from the hubble is that it looks through NO atmosphere, as it is already in space.
~D
2007-05-11 08:47:58 · answer #3 · answered by Derek S 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What was the context? ASL sometimes means above sea level.
2007-05-11 08:41:41 · answer #4 · answered by morningfoxnorth 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
did you mean AMSL?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above_mean_sea_level
2007-05-11 08:43:18 · answer #5 · answered by neutron 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋