Being able to turn our star into an instrument for humanity is an ambitious plan under consideration
Humans are able to enter the solar system and even venture into remote regions of space thanks to instruments and missions from NASA and other organizations. However, the ability of some is not well known. Cosmic objects Of strength Be useful to us thanks to physics Which we already know. Now we explain it to you in detail.
The Sun could be an essential tool for space exploration
Albert EinsteinIn 1936, He published an article in the scientific journal Science in which It showed how the sun He could, one day, become a Giant telescope. And yeah, it’s not really a crazy idea.
One lesson we can learn from the German genius’s theory of relativity is this Beings of cosmic proportions able to Bending the fabric of space-timeThis requires changing the path of light as it passes through its path. Some telescopes, such as James Webb, use so-called Gravitational lens To be able to expand its scope of work and approach very distant places in the universe.
Einstein’s crosses and rings
An Einstein’s Cross occurs when a more distant object (such as a quasar) sees its image quadrupled due to the gravitational lensing effect created by a massive object.
In this web image you can see Einstein’s crosses. pic.twitter.com/I0e7SROzNF
– Universo Recondito (@UnvrsoRecondito) April 9, 2024
there The region in the solar system where this effect can be achieved Which is 550 astronomical units away from the star. If we put a telescope in that area, we can Use the sun as a lens Which leads to amplification of the intensity of radiation that reaches us from long distances. Vaughn Russell Eshelman, a former professor at Stanford University, has published a book Article in Science magazine Where he talked about this physical principle:
Any ship anywhere along this line could, in principle, observe, listen and communicate at interstellar distances, using equipment similar in size and power to that used today for interplanetary distances. If one ignores coronal effects, the maximum magnification factor for coherent radiation is inversely proportional to the wavelength, being 100 million per millimeter.
To take an image of an exoplanet through solar gravitational lensing, the telescope must be placed at least 14 times farther from the Sun than Pluto.
Farther than humans have ever sent a spacecraft. pic.twitter.com/VNXjBB7Pk5
– Universo Recondito (@UnvrsoRecondito) December 18, 2023
And this, as incredible as it may seem, is The project is already being considered by NASA. according to Information published on the US Space Agency websitea ship located behind the sun can arrive Taking pictures of the surfaces of some exoplanets Close to the solar system.
There is still a lot problems To be resolved to implement this task, as distortion resulting from gravitational lensing The astronomical distances that the ship must travelBut perhaps in a few decades we will be able to observe other worlds, and who knows, we will encounter cosmic facts up close that have remained hidden.
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Founder Dwight D. Eisenhower Date of Establishment 07-29-1958 nickname The National Center for Aeronautics and Space Administration Number of Employees 18000
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