3 ms·

Yeah it's not going to be able to point for days at a single target but that will be helped by the relative silence of where it is. > Arecibo was distance limi

by rtkwe 5y ago

Yeah it's not going to be able to point for days at a single target but that will be helped by the relative silence of where it is. > Arecibo was distance limited by the Earth's rotation speed, since radar returns had to make it back before the target shifted out of the telescopes steerability window You were talking about active radar ranging a lot though which is not at all what these are meant for. It's like complaining a car can't tow a trailer, it's technically true but it's orthogonal to it's intended purpose.

sennight 5y ago
> ...it's technically true but it's orthogonal to it's intended purpose. Well that is the more verbose and less helpful way of saying the same thing: can't do long stare for the same reason this recognizable thing couldn't - rotation. Sticking with your car analogy: Upon hearing somebody else answer the question of "Can this car tow a trailer?", you swing in on a chandelier and declare "Actually it can, if the trailer is imaginary!"