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Size of optical telescope needed to spy on the Vikings from 1000 light years away?
So, if some alien life form, on a planet located 1000 light years from earth, wanted to check out what is going on 1000 years into our past, would it be theoretically possible to make a telescope that could make out individuals on earth from that distance?
1 Answer
- Anonymous4 years ago
it's theoretically possible provided there is a limited amount of obscuring dust and gas in the way. How big the telescope would be is a math problem I won't delve into right now. Several years ago I read something from a mathist that came up with a diameter of 1100 meters for an optical telescope observing planets in the Alpha Centauri system, and it would have to be a scope out in space. Alpha Centauri is 4.3 light years from earth. Take it from there. Do the math and good luck with that.