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The REAL Possibility of Mapping Alien Planets!

PBS Space Time · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Cosmology & astrophysicsSpace exploration & spaceflight

What it is

PBS Space Time explains the proposal to use the Sun's gravity as a giant lens, sending a train of small light-sail spacecraft to the focal point roughly 550 AU out. It covers how such a telescope could image exoplanets in surprising detail and the engineering challenges involved.

Why Hacker News recommends it

It is the go-to explanation whenever a thread touches on imaging exoplanets or solar gravitational lens telescopes.

  • 4 people recommended it
  • 6 different months
  • 1 strong recommendations
  • first 2023, last 2024

What HN commenters said

  1. “If you think LISA is mad this will blow your mind.”

    Mind-blowing Space Time episode

    lasc4r, 2023-06 · Strong recommendation · in “Monster gravitational waves spotted for first time”

  2. “Pretty good explanation of the technique and challenges involved”

    Explains imaging exoplanets with solar gravitational lens and its challenges

    nkrisc, 2023-01 · Recommendation · in “Wolf 1069B: Earth-mass planet in the habitable zone of a nearby, low-mass star”

  3. “good old Space Time has a pretty good video on this”

    Space Time video on gravitational lens telescopes

    Galaxeblaffer, 2023-03 · Recommendation · in “JWST gets best view yet of planet in hotly pursued star system”

  4. “Here's a PBS Space Time episode [1] that talks about this general topic”

    Covers gravitational lens telescope and swarm of small light-sail telescopes

    tzs, 2024-01 · Recommendation · in “Rumors Circulating That James Webb Has Discovered Life on Another World”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: gravitational lensing, exoplanet imaging, light sails, space telescopes, astrophysics

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