this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2024
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xkcd

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What if we aimed the Hubble Telescope at Earth? (www.youtube.com)
submitted 9 months ago by threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works to c/xkcd@lemmy.world
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[–] nucleative@lemmy.world 28 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Tl:dw Hubble is designed to look at objects really far away and isn't calibrated for Earth or fast enough to track a single spot long enough for good exposure, so the earth would be blurry.

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Now, if we had the ability to focus at earth distance with proper stabilization, what would we see?

[–] umbrella@lemmy.ml 22 points 9 months ago (1 children)

earth

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 3 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Yes but to what degree of magnification? Would we see a city, a street, a car, a person…?

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I did some napkin math and came to about 3.5 miles of field of view of pointed at the earth.

[–] Cort@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago (1 children)

Hubble is old enough that it only has a 1MP camera, so roughly 720p or 1280x720 pixels , so each pixel would represent about 15 feet if you're generous. A back yard swimming pool would be like 4 pixels, 9 if your parents are rich.

[–] LazaroFilm@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

This is a much better way of looking at it! Thanks!

[–] WalrusDragonOnABike@reddthat.com 2 points 9 months ago

Apparently you spinning in a chair if you have a skylight over it

[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 5 points 9 months ago (1 children)

I'm glad Randall has taken up the mantle of the great Cecil Adams. Someone had to.

[–] Jackcooper@lemmy.world 2 points 9 months ago

But who will take the mantle of the terrible Scott Adams?

[–] sanguinepar@lemmy.world 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

Oh cool, there's an XKCD YouTube? Consider me subscribed!

Because I just did.

[–] kryllic@programming.dev 2 points 9 months ago

I didn't know there was a YouTube channel for this series, I really enjoyed the book so this is a pleasant surprise

[–] beebarfbadger@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

What a comforting note to end on...

[–] Plavatos@sh.itjust.works 1 points 9 months ago (2 children)

Somewhat tangentially related but DSCOVR sits at a Lagrange point between the Sun and Earth and took pretty neat photos:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_Space_Climate_Observatory

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 0 points 9 months ago

I had to read that, after an earlier thread today claimed Gore did nothing for the climate until after he lost his presidential bid ….. that would have been great to post

[–] teamevil@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago (1 children)

The CIA literally gave NASA two satellite telescopes that are very powerful but aimed at earth.

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) (1 children)

NASA haven't launched them yet, have they? Last I heard they were sitting in storage.

[–] teamevil@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago

They were retired from CIA use and thus I figured in orbit, it I need to Google it.