Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!bloom-beacon!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!mailrus!umix!umich!mibte!gamma!ulysses!thumper!karn
From: karn@thumper.bellcore.com (Phil R. Karn)
Newsgroups: sci.crypt
Subject: Re: Spy Satellites Again
Message-ID: <1066@thumper.bellcore.com>
Date: 3 May 88 20:29:40 GMT
References: <23855@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc
Lines: 13
Summary: detect != resolve

> "Satellites hundreds of miles in space that can detect ground
>  objects less than an inch wide."
> 
> Anyone care to comment?

Strictly speaking, this is a true statement. Most stars are far smaller
than the diffraction-imposed resolution limit, but telescopes and eyes
have little trouble seeing them, albeit as "blobs" that appear much
larger than they really are. You aren't really "imaging" them. And I
don't know whether this is relevant to seeing objects on the ground that
only reflect ambient light.

Phil