2007-10-07 12:13:03 · 20 answers · asked by Red Dragon 888 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Supposedly no telescope on earth has sufficient resolution to see any man made objects that were left behind on the moon during the Apollo missions. Surprisingly even the newer Hubble telescope orbiting the earth is not powerful enough. The smallest object that Hubble can see on the moon has to be 200 feet (60 meters) wide. The largest object left by Apollo astronauts on the moon is 30 feet (9 meters) wide.
The source link I posted below offers more information.
2007-10-07 13:40:42 · answer #1 · answered by Horatio 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Although there have been some answers to your question, let me try and put this in a proper perspective.
A week or so ago, it was announced in our newspapers that a number of satellites had been launched with telescopes that could resolve objects only a half a meter in size (ie, you could see 'something' only about 20 inches square on the earth). I doubt these satellites are in synchronous orbit (some 26,000 miles above the earth) as the operators of these telescopes are interested in examining most of the earth, not just a small part of it. By this, I mean that these satellites are at a distance of 26,000 miles or less from the earth's surface and cannot resolve features less than 20 inches. Considering that the moon is some 10 times farther away from the earth as the satellites are (should the satellites actually be in synchronous orbit - they'll be closer than that if not), one could expect we could resolve much less - figure about 5 meters at most. Also, we have to deal with the turbulence of the atmosphere here which makes resolving small objects that much more difficult.
Hubble might be able to do so (no turbulent atmosphere), but to point Hubble at the moon would probably blind it. Too much light. Besides, there are much more important uses for Hubble than to try and see a small object on the surface of the moon.
Best regards,
Jim
2007-10-07 21:18:44 · answer #2 · answered by Jim H 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they are too small and far away. The smallest detail the Hubble telescope can resolve on the moon is about 300 feet wide. There are larger telescopes on the ground that could see detail smaller than that if they weren't hampered by the blurring effects of the Earth's atmosphere, but even they could not see anything that small even without the atmosphere in the way. There is simply no large enough telescope in the world to show detail that small on the Moon.
2007-10-07 21:28:16 · answer #3 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Too small & too far away.
Big telescopes can see galaxies that are billions of light years away, but the galaxies are hundreds of thousands of light years across. So looking at them is like seeing something a metre wide from 10 to 100 kilometres away through a telescope. (The really distant galaxies are just seen as little blobs anyway.)
The flag is perhaps a quarter meter across and it is about 380 thousand kilometres away. In proportion that is like something a metre wide from more than a million kilometres away.
Those pushing the fraud about the "Moon landing hoax" are trying to confuse people about the actual power of telescopes.
2007-10-08 08:17:41 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
For the same reason you can't see an ant a mile away using a pair of binoculars. The flag and craft are a few feet across, and the are 240 THOUSAND miles away. There is simply no telescope on Earth capable of resolving objects that small at that distance.
2007-10-07 19:15:46 · answer #5 · answered by Jason T 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
This has been answered. And answered. And answered. And . . . you get the idea.
If you could see a single VW beetle in the US from the moon, you could see the flag on the moon from Earth. The scale is about the same.
2007-10-07 19:16:33 · answer #6 · answered by Howard H 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Even with the most powerful telescope you can't see that little bitty flag on the moon.
2007-10-07 19:15:58 · answer #7 · answered by beatlemaniac 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
the earth and the moon have a great distance between them. the flag REALLY small compare to the moon and it's too puny to be seen from such great distance
2007-10-07 21:39:28 · answer #8 · answered by Kiki 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, for starters the flag was about the size of a sheet of A4 paper, and you'd be looking at it edge on (from above) so there'd be nothing really to see.
2007-10-07 19:57:46 · answer #9 · answered by Efnissien 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they're really tiny. It'd be like trying to pick out somebody's house from the moon.
2007-10-07 19:16:20 · answer #10 · answered by Somes J 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋