NASA, Astronomers Mull Putting Telescope on Moon

[cuddlyrocket]

"You just answered your own conundrum... put *both* legs of an optical interferometer on the moon... as I suggested above. Stationkeeping concerns go away, yet you still have atmosphere-free viewing and the advantages of interferometric resolution."<br /><br />Yes - <i>if</i> they can solve the co-ordination problem, which is what is limiting optical interferometers on Earth. But the Moon has the advantage of a vacuum - you can just use line of sight lasers (which you can't on Earth).<br /><br />"It would certainly demonstrate that putting people on the moon can do something tangible to advance scientific capability."<br /><br />Agreed.<br /><br />"If the array were to get up to 30-50 elements spread over a few kilometers -- it'd be one *heck* of a TPF."<br /><br />It certainly would. And <i>that</i> would get favourable press coverage and hence political approval.<br /><br /> "I think the advantages are obvious... but then I *would* -- it's my idea."<br /><br />I think they're obvious too - once I'd read your idea! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" />