Can the Hubble Telescope Detect Life on Distant Planets?

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SUMMARY

The Hubble Space Telescope, with a resolution of 0.085 arc seconds, cannot detect life on distant planets due to its limited ability to resolve small objects at vast distances. At 385,000 km, this resolution translates to a minimum detectable size of 158 meters, which is insufficient to identify features as small as trees on celestial bodies. The discussion highlights the misconception that distance alone allows for the detection of smaller objects, emphasizing the importance of both resolution and magnification in astronomical observations.

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Looking at planets...

Hi, not sure if this is the right area for such a post but... I was just thinking if the Hubble space telescope can see for millions of light years then why can't it look at stars from other solor systems and search for planets and the look at the planet for life? After all it would be powerfull enough to look at a planet and see a tree?

I'm very new to all this stuff so if my question is ridiculous don't laugh lol :)
 
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Galaxies=big. Planets=small. Simple as that. The Hubble couldn't even see a tree on the moon. Don't confuse distance with magnification/size.

For some actual numbers, the Hubble's resolution is 0.085 arc sec. At a distance of 385,000 km, that gives a resolution of .158 km or 158m. That means the smallest object the Hubble could see on the moon would be 158m across.
 
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Ohh, well that's my question answerd lol, thanks :D
 

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