Xref: utzoo sci.space:4494 sci.crypt:792
Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-lcc!mordor!sri-spam!rutgers!super.upenn.edu!eecae!crlt!russ
From: russ@crlt.UUCP (Russ Cage)
Newsgroups: sci.space,sci.crypt
Subject: Re: satellites
Message-ID: <1460@crlt.UUCP>
Date: 3 Feb 88 11:32:52 GMT
References: <873@uop.edu> <2166@umd5.umd.edu> <4910@well.UUCP> <1952@netsys.UUCP> <23760@cca.CCA.COM>
Organization: CRLT , Ann Arbor, MI
Lines: 15
Summary: Palomar telescope not that good!

In article <23760@cca.CCA.COM>, bobcoe@cca.UUCP writes:
>I recall that at the time the 200-in. Hale (Palomar Mtn.) telescope was built,
>it was reported that if it were not for the curvature of the earth and 3000
>miles of atmosphere, the telescope has the resolving power to read the date on
>a dime in New York.

Nope, can't be.  Angular resolution is approximately lambda/D, which
at 5 meters and 6000 Angstroms, is about 1.2e-7 radians for the Hale
telescope.  At 5 million meters distance, this corresponds to an
object of .6 meters in size.  You couldn't see the dime, much less
read the details off it.  (But it is a nice story even if not true.)
-- 
  The above are my own opinions and figures and I speak for RSI too, so there.
(313) 662-4147        Will you come quietly, or must I use earplugs?
Russ Cage, Robust Software Inc.      crlt may vanish anytime; use this address:
	                           		rsi@m-net