Very high resolution space telescope using the Earth atmosphere as the objective lens

Yu Wang

doi:10.1117/12.324434

28 August 1998 Very high resolution space telescope using the Earth atmosphere as the objective lens

Yu Wang

Proceedings Volume 3356, Space Telescopes and Instruments V; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.324434
Event: Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation, 1998, Kona, HI, United States

Abstract

Telescopes are critical elements of NASA's space program. Very high resolution telescopes are needed to study planets of neighboring stellar systems and life beyond earth. Telescope resolution is limited by aperture diameter but current technology limits telescope apertures to about 10- meters in diameter. The Earth's atmosphere refracts sunlight such that the sun's image appears about a half degree above its real position during sunset. If we could build a space telescope using the Earth's atmosphere as an objective lens the aperture of such space telescope would be the diameter of the earth. Telescope resolution could be enhanced by up to seven orders of magnitude and would enable detailed images of planets in far away stellar systems.

Citation Download Citation

Yu Wang "Very high resolution space telescope using the Earth atmosphere as the objective lens", Proc. SPIE 3356, Space Telescopes and Instruments V, (28 August 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.324434

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