Comments on: New Eye to the Universe Under Construction http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/ Space and astronomy news Sun, 8 Nov 2009 08:15:54 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Don Alexander http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31636 Don Alexander Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:46:37 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31636 @Markus Demetrius and DaveM: While the Sun DOES have a gravitational focus, it's about 550 AU out (yes, "way out there"). That's a dozen times the distance to Pluto. Furthermore, you will have multiple problems: a) The sun is not a perfect sphere, so the gravitational focus plane is not a sphere either. b) Too look at a target, you need to look exactly at the sun... c) your target will be smeared into an Einstein Ring (if you do everything right). Not sure about the separation - but if you blot out the disc of the sun, your target will probably lie in the corona... d) You traveled 550 AU, you look back - and you will see ONE tiny target area. To see an object a few degrees away, you'd have to travel a few tens of AU along an orbit. e) I would assume any mass movements on the sun such as flares and prominences will introduce slight distortion in the images. All in all, I deem this pretty impractical. An isolated solar mass black hole will serve you MUCH better. @Markus Demetrius and DaveM:

While the Sun DOES have a gravitational focus, it's about 550 AU out (yes, "way out there").

That's a dozen times the distance to Pluto.

Furthermore, you will have multiple problems:

a) The sun is not a perfect sphere, so the gravitational focus plane is not a sphere either.

b) Too look at a target, you need to look exactly at the sun…

c) your target will be smeared into an Einstein Ring (if you do everything right). Not sure about the separation – but if you blot out the disc of the sun, your target will probably lie in the corona…

d) You traveled 550 AU, you look back – and you will see ONE tiny target area. To see an object a few degrees away, you'd have to travel a few tens of AU along an orbit.

e) I would assume any mass movements on the sun such as flares and prominences will introduce slight distortion in the images.

All in all, I deem this pretty impractical. An isolated solar mass black hole will serve you MUCH better.

]]> By: NoAstronomer http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31603 NoAstronomer Wed, 03 Sep 2008 13:46:44 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31603 Incredible! I bet the physics/chemistry/engineering needed just to create the blank earned someone their PhD. Incredible! I bet the physics/chemistry/engineering needed just to create the blank earned someone their PhD.

]]> By: DaveM http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31593 DaveM Wed, 03 Sep 2008 10:28:32 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31593 Markus Demetrius - Unfortunately - the sun is way to small and way to close to serve as a gravitational lens. Markus Demetrius -

Unfortunately – the sun is way to small and way to close to serve as a gravitational lens.

]]> By: Markus Demetrius http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31555 Markus Demetrius Tue, 02 Sep 2008 22:46:37 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31555 How about a using our own sun's gravitational lensing as the largest possible space telescope? I'm sure the focus points are way out there, but once our new generation of telescopes start to identify earthlike planets we could use these focus points to really "zoom in". Just an idea... How about a using our own sun's gravitational lensing as the largest possible space telescope? I'm sure the focus points are way out there, but once our new generation of telescopes start to identify earthlike planets we could use these focus points to really "zoom in". Just an idea…

]]> By: Sci-Fi Si http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31552 Sci-Fi Si Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:17:47 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31552 most cool. most cool.

]]> By: Sili http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31545 Sili Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:45:29 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31545 I love those 'segmented' mirrors they do in Arizona. I wonder what Hubble woulda looked like if we had that technology back then ( ... time really is damn relative ...). How much lighter is it they are compared to the standard method? I guess Hubble is as large as it could be when it had to go up on the shuttle. Ah well. I love those 'segmented' mirrors they do in Arizona. I wonder what Hubble woulda looked like if we had that technology back then ( … time really is damn relative …).

How much lighter is it they are compared to the standard method? I guess Hubble is as large as it could be when it had to go up on the shuttle. Ah well.

]]> By: edunuke http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31541 edunuke Tue, 02 Sep 2008 18:13:03 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31541 that's engineering! that's engineering!

]]> By: John Mendenhall http://www.universetoday.com/2008/09/02/new-eye-to-the-universe-under-construction/comment-page-1/#comment-31539 John Mendenhall Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:47:14 +0000 http://www.universetoday.com/?p=17557#comment-31539 Wow! Beautiful work! Wow! Beautiful work!

]]>