Turning Earth Into a Telescope | The Terrascope

Cool Worlds23 minutes read

Astronomers are developing huge telescopes up to 40 meters in diameter, with the Terra scope proposing a telescope the size of Earth. The Terra scope concept involves using Earth as a refractive lens to achieve significant amplification for advanced astronomical observations, offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional large telescopes.

Insights

  • Large telescopes with diameters of 30 to 40 meters are being built, but the Terra scope proposes a telescope the size of the Earth, utilizing a physics trick for significant amplification.
  • The Terra scope project, developed by a Columbia faculty member, involves using Earth as a refractive lens by having light from distant stars skim its surface and converge just inside the moon's orbit, offering a cost-effective alternative with potential applications on other planets.

Get key ideas from YouTube videos. It’s free

Recent questions

  • What are the challenges faced by extremely large telescopes?

    Weight, cost, and mirror design limitations.

  • How did telescopes evolve from refractive lenses to mirrors?

    Due to issues like chromatic aberration and weight.

  • What is the Terra scope project?

    A telescope concept using Earth as a lens.

  • How do reflective telescopes address limitations of large mirrors?

    Through segmented mirror designs.

  • What is the significance of the Terra scope's orbit region?

    It enables stable lensing above cloud levels.

Related videos

Summary

00:00

"Building colossal telescopes for astronomical exploration"

  • Astronomers are constructing extremely large telescopes with diameters of 30 to 40 meters.
  • The concept of the Terra scope proposes a telescope the size of the Earth using a physics trick.
  • In 1608, Hans Lippershey applied for a patent for a telescope with a magnification of up to three times.
  • Galileo constructed an improved telescope with a magnification factor of 20 using a curved glass lens.
  • Telescopes transitioned from refractive lenses to mirrors due to issues like chromatic aberration and weight.
  • Reflective telescopes faced limitations with large mirrors sagging under their weight, leading to segmented mirror designs.
  • The cost of extremely large telescopes like the TMT or ELT exceeds a billion dollars each.
  • Larger telescopes like the Colossus or overwhelmingly large telescope aim to detect fainter objects and analyze planets.
  • Using natural lenses like the Sun or Earth for telescopes has been proposed but faced challenges like distance and practicality.
  • The Earth could potentially be used as a refractive lens for a telescope, offering colossal lensing capabilities.

18:18

"Revolutionary Terra Scope Project for Astronomy"

  • The speaker, a faculty member at Columbia, revisited a problem after 13 years and developed the Terra scope project.
  • The Terra scope involves light from a distant star skimming Earth's surface and converging at a focal point just inside the moon's orbit.
  • Surface-skimming rays face obstacles like clouds, mountains, and atmospheric absorption, prompting consideration of higher-altitude rays.
  • Higher-altitude rays, focused on the Moon's surface, encounter scattering and extinction effects, impacting amplification levels.
  • To mitigate cloud interference, the speaker proposes using rays above cloud levels, suggesting a stable orbit region around Earth for lensing.
  • By placing detectors in this orbit region, the Terra scope could achieve significant amplification, enabling advanced astronomical observations.
  • The Terra scope concept offers a cost-effective alternative to large telescopes, with potential applications on other planets, despite challenges like atmospheric turbulence and alignment issues.
Channel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatarChannel avatar

Try it yourself — It’s free.