(SNES) [LX200] ESO AIMS COUPLED OPTICAL TELESCOPES AT THE MOON

[Joe Hartley <jh@brainiac.com>]

This changes the answer to one of FDO's most asked questions!

>>>>> Forwarded message from "Steve Snickers" <stevesnickers@hotmail.com>


GERD HABINGER
EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY HEADQUARTERS
MUNICH
GERMANY
EMAIL: gerd@pr.eso.de

JAMES KIRBY
MOUNT ST. JOHN OBSERVATORY
NEW ZEALAND
EMAIL: jamesk@star.msj.nz

ANNOUNCEMENT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, 1 April 2002
ESO AIMS COUPLED OPTICAL TELESCOPES AT THE MOON

The European Southern Observatory has succeeded in coupling together three 
large optical telescopes in Chile and New Zealand and combined their images 
to achieve a resolution orders of magnitudes higher than ever before. The 
technique, known as VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry) was combined 
with adaptive optics in all three telescopes, a recent development that 
involves changing the shape of the primary mirror at a rate of up to 100 
times per second, to distort the image in such a way as to compensate 
completely the distorting effects of the atmosphere. Both these techniques 
have been used before, with spectacular effects, but this is the first time 
that they were combined, and also the first time that the telescopes 
involved were so far apart. The resolution achieved by coupling telescopes 
together increases with the distance between the telescopes, and the largest 
distance previously used was a mere 300m, whereas this time two of the 
telescopes were based at the ESO observatory in Chile and one in New 
Zealand, a distance of approximately 8000km.

Astronomers at ESO said that the result was a staggering resolution that was 
several orders of magnitude greater than the best previously achieved 
resolution. The operation was accompanied by immense technical hurdles, as 
the tracking of all three telescopes had to be made much smoother and more 
accurate than ever before, especially as long exposures (up to 45 minutes at 
a time) are necessary to gather enough light to build up a significant 
image. After working on this project for nearly three years the ESO team, 
headed by Sigmund Orlander from the ESO headquarters in Munich, Germany, 
finally achieved their first success on 23 March 2002. The first picture 
they took was of a region of the Orion Nebula (see ESO press release, 28 
March 2002).

On 29 March they aimed the telescope at the moon to take pictures of the 
Apollo 12 landing site, in order to dispel the rumors that the Apollo 
missions were acted out and filmed in a NASA studio. They indeed got 
pictures of the Apollo 12 landing site clearly showing the traces of the 
landing as well as human footprints. However they also found something that 
has inflamed a fierce controversy: the body of an astronaut, in full NASA 
spacesuit, with the word "HELP" scrawled in the sand next to it. Jeremy 
Garfinkle (email: jg@pub.nasa.gov), a spokesperson of NASA, has denied that 
the NASA had left any astronauts behind on the moon and points out that all 
the astronauts on the Apollo 12 mission had returned safely. "This is utter 
nonsense," claims Jeremy Garfinkle in a reply fax to ESO, "it is some kind 
of European attempt to discredit the NASA. This is a striking example of 
jealousy and bad science". Mr. Garfinkle further threatened the ESO with 
legal action if the pictures of the Apollo 12 landing site are released to 
the public, describing them as "fabrications". Some members of the ESO 
believe, however, that the Apollo 12 crew may have left an empty spacesuit 
and the message on the moon as a practical joke. Mr. Garfinkle also denied 
this possibility. "The NASA astronauts are highly disciplined and would not 
play such childish pranks. Besides, we would have noticed if a space suit 
had gone missing."

The ESO and NASA have agreed, however, to investigate the matter further and 
will take more pictures of the Apollo 12 landing site shortly. Rumors that 
the incriminating pictures have been leaked to the WWW are as yet 
unsubstantiated. More press releases, by NASA and the ESO are expected 
within the next few days.

<<  End forwarded message


======================================================================
                    Joe Hartley - jh@brainiac.com
  "Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. 
   I consider the capacity for it terrifying." --Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
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