Moontanman Posted August 10, 2012 Posted August 10, 2012 (edited) A contest backed by google to place a telescope on the moon is moving closer to fruition... The International Lunar Observatory Association (ILOA) is being backed by Google Lunar X Prize contestant Moon Express in placing a small telescope on the Moon's surface to test and troubleshoot operating protocols for a fully loaded remote telescope. Last week, the ILO-X, the first ILOA telescope that will be sent to the Moon, was remotely tested by ILOA and Moon Express on the summit of Mauna Kea, and passed with flying colors. Later ILOA/Moon Express missions will include landing considerably larger telescopes at strategic locations on the lunar surface. http://www.gizmag.com/iloa-lunar-telescope/23639/?utm_source Edited August 10, 2012 by Moontanman
CaptainPanic Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 What is the benefit of having a telescope on the moon, rather than just in orbit? I checked the article (glanced over it), but it seems to me that the coolness of it is the main argument. It's a challenge with a prize (money).
Greg H. Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 (edited) What is the benefit of having a telescope on the moon, rather than just in orbit? I checked the article (glanced over it), but it seems to me that the coolness of it is the main argument. It's a challenge with a prize (money). I don't know if there's any astronomical benefit (i.e. I don't know that it will take any better pictures than a telescope in orbit) but I think there's something to be said for being able to plop a permanent fixed "installation" on another stellar body. There's a lot of engineering challenges that need to be addressed in this deployment, and I think that's the real benefit to the operation (aside from the cash prize). If we can pull of landing something as delicate as a telescope on another orbiting body in the solar system, then what can we achieve next? Edit: Here's an older article I found that lists at least one benefit where radio astronomy is concerned: http://blogearth.wor...pe-on-the-moon/ A [radio] telescope on the dark side of the Moon would be permanently out of the reach of all this [radio] disturbance [from the surface of the Earth], giving crystal clear views of our Universe. Edited August 13, 2012 by Greg H.
Moontanman Posted August 13, 2012 Author Posted August 13, 2012 When I posted this I honestly thought it was about a radio telescope, I read it at least once and then skimmed through it a couple of times later... I must be bad off, I completely missed it was an optical scope...
John Cuthber Posted August 13, 2012 Posted August 13, 2012 If you put it on the far side of the moon (why do people call it the dark side? Too much Pink Floyd perhaps) then the moon screens light and electrical noise coming from the Earth. Losing "earthshine" is potentially useful.
CaptainPanic Posted August 14, 2012 Posted August 14, 2012 If you put it on the far side of the moon (why do people call it the dark side? Too much Pink Floyd perhaps) then the moon screens light and electrical noise coming from the Earth. Losing "earthshine" is potentially useful. Also makes it just that bit more difficult to get the pictures to earth. I guess the next goal is to lay down a fibre optic cable along the moon's equator? Btw, don't get me wrong. I think that these challenges are fantastic from an engineering point of view. We'll learn a lot. But I just can't help to think that there may be other things we can put down there too. How about a solar powered hydrogen/oxygen factory? There is water on the moon (although the location where it's found is permanently dark). It could make the moon easier to reach, because you have a gas station at the moon. I'd rather have a gas station on the moon than a telescope, to be honest. If it's a good gas station, it'll sell the postcards anyway. 1
Moontanman Posted August 14, 2012 Author Posted August 14, 2012 Also makes it just that bit more difficult to get the pictures to earth. I guess the next goal is to lay down a fibre optic cable along the moon's equator? Btw, don't get me wrong. I think that these challenges are fantastic from an engineering point of view. We'll learn a lot. But I just can't help to think that there may be other things we can put down there too. How about a solar powered hydrogen/oxygen factory? There is water on the moon (although the location where it's found is permanently dark). It could make the moon easier to reach, because you have a gas station at the moon. I'd rather have a gas station on the moon than a telescope, to be honest. If it's a good gas station, it'll sell the postcards anyway. I think this is the most important aspect of this, such projects advance knowledge in a way that before space travel only war seemed to be able to do. Impossible to predict but my money is on more money eventually coming out of them than was put into to them via technological advances discovered along the way...
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