Do you have any idea on how to take a clear detailed photo of an exoplanet?

[TonyMetal___86]

It's a shame that we still can't see real clear photos of exoplanets, the majority of the photos are artists impressions or pixelated dots that means nothing to us!

Even the JWST doesn't have what it takes to show us what we really want to see...

I was searching for new projects that will be launched to space in the upcoming years but the answer came to me that even these advanced machines aren't capable to give us the answer to our questions, maybe they will be capable to answer a fraction of our questions but not for our whole question 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Chazmatazz269]

It’s ridiculously expensive to take photos of deep space objects and photos that are suitable to the human eye don’t carry enough information. Most of the photos we get are thermographic, topographical, or spectroscopic images because those can give us much more useful information than “Oh, it’s pretty!”. Ell oh ell! Then usually that information is fed into a computer that simulates what the planet might look like and that’s what we get to see in the end.
Also, i don’t think that we’re getting detailed photos of any kind from other solar systems. If it’s not illuminated by our sun, it’s too far away for detailed photographs. We have satellite images from our outer solar system, but the next nearest solar system is over four light years away and i’m fairly certain that we haven’t sent satellites outside of our solar system yet.

[TonyMetal___86]

Good info but when you're capable to see a clear image of an exoplanet of how it really looks than the info that you will be able to retrieve would be a lot better than making assumptions because as you can see that it always starts with the words: "it might or potentially... etc" when you achieve a technological capability of seeing exoplanets the way they are than you will be 100% affirmative of your information and not speculating...

Plus let me inform you that we do have two satellites outside of our solar system, they are called the voyager 1 and voyager 2, the farthest manmade object sailing in space, voyager 1 is in the interstellar space now, it takes nearly 23 hours for a signal travelling at the speed of light to reach it...

[Chazmatazz269]

Negative. The human eye detects very little useful information compared to spectroscopy, thermography and topography. We KNOW more about the planets because of those than we ever learned merely from leering at them through telescopes.
Interstellar space is not another solar system. That was the point. We do not have detailed images of planets illuminated by other stars. I’m quite certain of that.

[TonyMetal___86]

You're right about that and that's why i'm asking for a way to see a clear photo of an exoplanet, studying the unseen is different from studying the the things that are seen, plus we like to see the reality of things, do you prefer to see a real photo of an exolplanet or a pixelated dot?

It's been decades since we know about the planets of our solar system but why in your opinion we have always wanted to see clearer photos of them, go check the photo of pluto, the one taken from years ago and the most recent one than tell me how it makes you feel 🙂

Sometimes, all what we want is just to see things the way they really appear...

[slatyb]

It's not physically possible with current technology. I expect there is some relation between resolving power and telescope size, and that it could be done but we would need a telescope kilometers wide.

[TonyMetal___86]

That is true, a lit bit more of a hard work and paying couple of billions more, it can be achievable unlike travelling there or sending probes in order to send us pictures back...

[slatyb]

A couple of billions more? The James Webb Space Telescope cost $10 Billion, and it's not close to being able to see an exoplanet as a separate object.

[TonyMetal___86]

For sure that it's going to cost a lot more than the JWST, plus we need to see of such thing can be achievable with our current understanding of technology

[exitseven]

You have to wait until you have a very clear night and be away from light pollution. Get a good quality 35mm SLR camera and use high definition film. Set it for a long exposure time

[TonyMetal___86]

This can barely show me a star as a dot 😂

[exitseven]

yes, but a very detailed dot.

[NathanDavis]

yes, I know how...

get way much closer to them...

way, way, WAY closer than we are nowadays

[TonyMetal___86]

You know that this is impossible nowadays cause we are talking about travelling at the speed of light for years 🤣🤣

[NathanDavis]

yes, that the first one step... quite the long step

either you're too close with an actual lens that captures visible light, while at the same time blocking/avoiding the flare of those gigantic "suns" out there or you have to stick with "translations" or "interpretations" of what they could look like

all of the newer and newest telescopes work with something else than visible light... like infrared and radio waves... NOT the visible light that we humans are able to see

[TonyMetal___86]

I have two ideas which makes seeing near exoplanets detailed and clear but the two ways are very hard to achieve and costs billions of dollars but i can say that both ways are 90% + successful!

[NathanDavis]

well... I have an idea that is easier and 100% effective, but

it can cost trillions upon trillions of dollars

[TonyMetal___86]

It's not always about how much you pay, first you have to see if you can achieve such technology than you will see how much it costs, money don't make miracles, you make miracles and get paid for it...

[Xawyx-2]

I think you need a very powerful telescope for that.

[TonyMetal___86]

Still we can't see them clear enough because of their vast distances from us and because of the sun or suns that they are orbiting around 🤦🏻‍♂️

[Xawyx-2]

Indeed, without a very fast space ship, it's difficult to take a picture of any exoplanets.
We need more advanced technology.

[TonyMetal___86]

Well said, but i'm trying to visualize a technology where we are able to capture clear photos of nearby exoplanets without having to travel there to snap a photo and send it back here...

[Xawyx-2]

Interesting, but what kind of technology, optical?

[TonyMetal___86]

Yes it's optical but with an upgraded technology where it can eliminate all the sunlight and distortions coming from space, also a supercomputer able to boost the photons received from a specific exoplanet, able to picture the planet nearly identical to the real one, we already have the technology to study from what an exoplanet is made of according to the lights that it emits, because each gas has a specific compound which can visible by the color of the light captured on our devices...

You need a huge telescope sent to the edge of our solar system to reach the interstellar space, with an advanced technology and hyper quantum computer, i believe that at this point, we can certainly receive photos of nearby exoplanets from near star systems, clear enough to see them as we are seeing them live with our naked eye...

[Xawyx-2]

I hope that kind of technology will work out in the nearby future, at least on the closest stars with exoplanets.

[TonyMetal___86]

I hope so too 👍🏻

[jshm2]

Lol, you must be a different kind of stupid. The kind that takes a photo of the front door, then asks ChatGPT to "show the back door".

A demitasse must fit you like a sombrero

[TonyMetal___86]

Did you just pop up here to throw insults?

[Daytoday79]

Bigger telescopes in space

[TonyMetal___86]

Bigger ain't the only solution because if it's only about size than you need a telescope as big as our solar system and if not bigger and it's somewhow impossible...