Questions tagged [detection]
Questions about discovering or observing something. Often used about detecting a new object, like an asteroid.
12 questions
5votes
3answers
417views
How obvious would an Earth-like planet be when searching for signs of life in space?
If a planet nearly identical to Earth were orbiting a nearby star, how obvious would it be to us, using our current efforts to search for signs of life? Would it stick out like a sore thumb? Or ...
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2votes
0answers
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How is Prospero doing now? Was it really heard in 2004 and have there been recent attempts to contact it?
Screenshot from the excellent historical review in Curious Droid video Black Arrow : The Lipstick Rocket - A Very British Space Program with a photo of Prospero or at least a representation thereof. ...
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2votes
0answers
72views
How is the presence of water detected on celestial bodies?
How is the presence of water detected on celestial bodies and how is its state, solid or liquid, determined? In a related question, are the same methods used to detect the presence of subsurface water,...
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3votes
1answer
258views
Did Zuma complete at least one orbit? [duplicate]
Question: Did Zuma complete at least one orbit? CLOSE VOTERS, PLEASE NOTE: answers to What was the outcome of the launch of ZUMA by SpaceX, to the best of the public's knowledge? do not answer my ...
- 153k
2votes
0answers
39views
Detecting light leakage from starshot-like probe
Would we be able to detect the light "leaking" around a light sail, from a startshot like probe, which is launched from a nearby star system towards Earth?
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8votes
2answers
693views
How could the presence of 3He be detected on the lunar surface?
I have been investigating this isotope of helium for a while, which is extremely abundant on the moon (and in general in the entire solar system except on planets with atmosphere). It is believed that ...
- 1,633
3votes
0answers
197views
Has anyone reported looking for bandgap photoemission from III-V solar panels on spacecraft? Has any success ever been reported?
I have asked a related question in Physics SE: Do III-V based photovoltaics “glow” (photo-luminesce) when illuminated but not loaded? and the answer (as expected, as it must be) is yes. Question: Have ...
- 153k
4votes
2answers
242views
What is the process to produce a chemical composition spectrum of a celestial body?
I have come across this spectrum, which depicts the chemical composition of Titan's atmosphere: Taken from here. I would like to know how do scientists generate such spectra, starting with capturing ...
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23votes
2answers
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Suppose Zuma wasn't "lost" — what would it take to detect it?
Being a secret government launch, there has been speculation maybe the Zuma satellite wasn't lost, and claims to the contrary are a ruse to throw off parties who'd like to track it. There is possible ...
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3votes
0answers
132views
How easy would it be to detect a large 400x1000 meters tubular habitat at L4
I'm writing an SF book and want to know if a 400 by 1000 meter tubular habitat at Lagrange point 4 (or L5) would be easily detected from earth?
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10votes
3answers
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How well could a satellite hide from Earth detection?
If there are only a few "enemy" radars at known locations that can detect a satellite in LEO, I'd assume there are some radar stealth methods using a spacecraft carefully shaped and oriented such that ...
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8votes
2answers
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What is the current record for the farthest detection of a "dead" spacecraft?
In order to better defend my position that trying to track Juno from Earth once it can no longer transmit would be Quixotic, I'd like to ask what the current record is for the farthest detection from ...
- 153k
