Can we see anything that astronauts left on the Moon?

By Bill

Posted: Oct 31, 2007

JESSE RICHUSO (MOREHEAD PLANETARIUM AND SCIENCE CENTER) SAYS:

Hi Bill,

This is one of the most frequently asked questions at our skywatching sessions or planetarium shows that feature the Moon. Can we see any of the objects that astronauts left there, like the flags, lunar rovers, or the descent stage of the lunar module? I think it would be really cool if we could, but unfortunately we can't, for a combination of reasons: the Moon is too far away, and the objects are too small.

The largest objects that astronauts left on the Moon are the descent stages of the six lunar modules. They're each about 15 feet wide. In order to see something that size at the distance of the Moon (about 250,000 miles on average), you would need a telescope with a diameter of at least 100 meters (300+ feet). The largest telescope on Earth is about 10 meters in diameter. Even the Hubble Space Telescope, which has a diameter of 2.4 meters, cannot see anything we left on the Moon. It’s just not big enough or close enough to the Moon.

For more information, check out this website all about this topic.

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Should have made myself clearer. I was thinking of the portion of the great circle that bisects the circumference and which is visible to us as the arc from the western limb to the eastern limb, passing through the middle of the Moon's face. The edge of a full Moon would be equal to its actual circumference. And none of that makes any sense either so I'm going to nap now.

Steve Crisp
GOLO member since July 3, 2007
November 5, 2007 1:34 a.m.

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There have been a few lunar orbitars since we landed on the Moon. Think the last one flew between 50-80nm above the surface but the orbitar didnot have a 1m camera on it more like a 10m one. Could be wrong just not in mood to search NASA moon page... :)

FKASM
GOLO member since October 19, 2007
November 4, 2007 11:03 p.m.

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TarheelsDontLikeEdwards, we were there. In order to have faked it. It would have taken so much to fake it, it would be easier to just go and do it for real.

jkuwalik2
November 4, 2007 10:40 p.m.

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steve a diameter of 2160 but a circumference of 3393. I could be mistaken but 2160 times pi equals 6785. and some change. I see you are speaking of the face, or just the side we see. The moon is really quite cool in the fact that it is approx a quarter the size of the earth and approx 250,000 but blocks out the sun, 1 million times its size,completely during an eclipse. The sun being 93,000,000 away from us. It is, in that manner perfectly distanced from us. It gives us our season, maintains the tilt of the earth at 24 1/2 degees and gives us our tides. It also lengthened our day from 6 hours 4,000,000,000 years ago to the 24 hour day we have today. It is also moving away from us at a rate of roughly 1.5 inches per year. If it were not for the moon, we probaly would not be here today.

jkuwalik2
November 4, 2007 10:38 p.m.

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That is, if we actually went to the moon.

TarheelsDontLikeEdwards
November 4, 2007 10:20 p.m.

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In linear miles, the moon's diameter is 2160 miles, In terms of the circumference, you are looking at a great circle measuring 3393 miles. The moon itself subtends about a half a degree in the sky.

Steve Crisp
GOLO member since July 3, 2007
November 4, 2007 9:10 p.m.

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Made in USA, ??????????????????, please clearify your last post.

jkuwalik2
November 4, 2007 9:03 p.m.

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During a full moon, what would be the distance across of what we see...horizon to horizon?

Made In USA
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
November 4, 2007 8:17 p.m.

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Cleanup: Spy satellites and other photographic satellites orbit the Earth only a few hundred miles above Earth's surface. The Moon is about 250,000 miles away.

jrichuso
GOLO member since September 11, 2007
November 4, 2007 7:59 p.m.

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I think a spy Satellite can photograph a very detailed area on the Earth, so why not the moon?

Cleanup on Aisle Cool
November 1, 2007 12:04 p.m.

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Can we see anything that astronauts left on the Moon?

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