Why is it Impossible* For Telescopes On Earth To See Spacecraft on The Moon?

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United States Scott Manley
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Published on ● Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2FnbzR2ox8


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Amateur astronomers regularly track and photograph spacecraft in deep space using telescopes. Tiny spacecraft can be seen millions of miles from Earth using carefully planned observations. However to view spacecraft on the surface of the moon, this isn't possible because it's easy to pick out a bright spot against the dark background of space but doing the same against the bright background of the moon isn't useful. To get images of spacecraft on the moon (or mars!) you need to get much closer so that the details can resolve.

Here's a list of special site on the moon which have been observed by LRO:
http://www.lroc.asu.edu/featured_sites/

* and by 'impossible' I mean that it's merely ridiculously difficult unless you build a massive device and someone correct for the atmospheric turbulence.



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