World's Largest Telescope to be placed on Moon

by Jason Sanders | October 9, 2008 at 10:07 am

614 views | 11 Recommendations | 15 comments

Scientists want to place the world's largest telescope on Earth's biggest satellite: the Moon. Using some of the simplest technologies available, like water based telescopes, researchers have devised a way to use basic physics to create THE most precise telescope ever created.

Angel, a leading astronomer at the University of Arizona, is proposing an enormous liquid-mirror telescope on the moon that could be hundreds of times more sensitive than the Hubble Space Telescope.

Using a rotating dish of reflective liquid as its primary mirror, Angel's telescope would the largest ever built, and would permit astronomers to study the oldest and most distant objects in the universe, including the very first stars.

I've been amazed at some of the photos the Hubble has taken, and can't imagine what else it out there for us to find; though, I can't wait to find out!

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master_jim2008

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:35 on October 9th, 2008

Jason Sanders, I like this story. It's good stuff.

They say that there is like a wall that we hit when we try to view anything more than 250 light years or is it 250 million light years from earth. They said something about the hubble actually running into this wall. The telescope could view farther, but it isn't seeing anything beyond that invisible wall. Has the Hubble viewed the outer reaches of our galaxy already??? who knows.

Jason Sanders

at 14:36 on October 9th, 2008

I never knew that, thanks for the heads up, master_jim! I'll definitely have to check that out.

Fairbanks

at 14:50 on October 9th, 2008

Probably 14.7 billion light years is the farthest, but isn't it strange that we are in the exact center?

ankout

at 13:17 on October 9th, 2008

ankout has contributed a photo to this story.

mrhahn530

at 14:01 on October 9th, 2008

Huh, seems like a good idea to put one on the moon...
mrhahn530 has contributed a photo to this story.

ondorn08

at 14:10 on October 9th, 2008

I take this one in the back of my home, in Las Vegas, NV

ondorn08 has contributed a photo to this story.

andreacapriotti

at 14:40 on October 9th, 2008

Hi Jason,
for me the moon is very interesting and hope to put other photos on flickr . I think you are making a great work.
Thanks to have chosen my photo.
Have a good work
Andrea

andreacapriotti has contributed a photo to this story.

Eccie

at 14:44 on October 9th, 2008

Interesting, it would be about time to increase space exploration funding and make new breakthroughs in that field, good luck with the moon telescope-project!

bulhaa

at 15:58 on October 9th, 2008

this is perhaps the first time i've seen the moon up so close. i was literally blown away. the photo was taken through a telescope at Mirihi Island Resort, Maldives

bulhaa has contributed a photo to this story.

tld22341

at 16:46 on October 9th, 2008

Thanks for your interest in my work, and for asking for permission to use the photo. :-)

bLind-

at 16:52 on October 9th, 2008

Thanx for ur interest on my work.Took the using my Canon EOS 400D + 70-200mm F/2.8L IS USM Lens. Just a normal moon shots. Wish I have a good telephoto like 400mm but yea...thats just a dream :)

bLind- has contributed a photo to this story.