Re:Building telescopes on the Moon could transform astronomy
by joering2 on Wednesday April 19, 2023 @06:21PM
(#35634064)
define "too late" ?
Re:Building telescopes on the Moon could transform astronomy
by httpz on Wednesday April 19, 2023 @08:08PM
(#35634852)
China already has a rover on the far side of the moon so my hopes aren't high.
Re:Building telescopes on the Moon could transform astronomy
by DennisP on Wednesday April 19, 2023 @08:55PM
(#35635137)
I don't think we're likely to build telescopes on the far side of the moon without sending some rovers there first.
Re:Building telescopes on the Moon could transform astronomy
by quickthrower2 on Thursday April 20, 2023 @02:00AM
(#35636883)
Maybe have RF curfews, 6pm to 6am GMT every day.
Re:Building telescopes on the Moon could transform astronomy
by hinkley on Thursday April 20, 2023 @06:14PM
(#35647214)
Curfew during or around full moons would make more sense.
There is no 'dark side of the moon'. During a new moon the dark side is the front side. At a full moon it's the back side. You probably don't want to be doing optical astronomy during the middle of the day on the moon, and you probably don't want to be doing radio astronomy while being pelted by the solar wind. Much of both is taken care of if you're doing it near midnight on the lunar day.
> The lunar far side is permanently shielded from the radio signals generated by humans on Earth. During the lunar night, it is also protected from the Sun. These characteristics make it probably the most “radio-quiet” location in the whole solar system as no other planet or moon has a side that permanently faces away from the Earth. It is therefore ideally suited for radio astronomy.
Maybe we need to treat this as a "pristine natural resource" and put some treaties in place now where we agree to limit how much we "pollute" this area with RF signals, before it's too late?