3 ms·

There are also alternative proposals to use Earth's atmosphere refraction for focusing, in a geometrically similar fashion as gravitational lens. It seems more

• le-mark 1y ago
  Does size of the planet matter? How about using Saturn or Jupiter?
  • Balgair 1y ago
    Yes, the larger the object you're using as a lens, the better the image. This is due to the 'Lens Makers' Equation'. Larger objects like Earth, Jupiter, or the Sun would make for larger radii and therefore better resolution.
• Intralexical 1y ago
  Has anyone explored using the target planet's mechanical motion? As it rotates and orbits, a different part of it will be lit up every hour (and every season). You only get a single pixel at once, but that pixel is localized to a region that scans across the whole surface over time. For something Earth-like, I think you could definitely make out the Americas, Asia, and probably Africa. Maybe both of the ice caps too, depending how it's oriented and if you're capturing spectra. ...Somebody should mock up a solver in Python. I'm sure there are other tricks you could use. Diffraction limit schmraction schmidit, real planets aren't point light sources.