Exploring Planets: Can the Hubble Telescope See Life?

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In summary, the Hubble space telescope is powerful enough to see objects millions of light years away, but it cannot see individual planets or life on them. This is because planets are much smaller compared to galaxies and the Hubble's resolution is limited. It can only see objects as small as 158m on the moon, making it impossible to see trees or other features on distant planets.
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Mackay1011
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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
 

Related to Exploring Planets: Can the Hubble Telescope See Life?

1. Can the Hubble Telescope detect alien life on other planets?

No, the Hubble Telescope is not designed to detect alien life on other planets. Its primary purpose is to observe and study distant galaxies, stars, and planets within our own solar system. In order to detect alien life, specialized instruments and techniques are needed.

2. Has the Hubble Telescope discovered any signs of life on other planets?

No, the Hubble Telescope has not discovered any signs of life on other planets. While it has observed and studied many exoplanets (planets outside of our solar system), it has not detected any definitive signs of life. However, it has provided valuable data and insights that can help in the search for life on other planets.

3. Can the Hubble Telescope see individual life forms on other planets?

No, the Hubble Telescope is not powerful enough to see individual life forms on other planets. Its resolution is limited to observing large features on planets, such as continents and oceans. To see individual life forms, a telescope with much higher resolution and specialized instruments would be needed.

4. Has the Hubble Telescope observed any potentially habitable planets?

Yes, the Hubble Telescope has observed several exoplanets that are potentially habitable. These are planets that are within the habitable zone of their star, meaning they could potentially have liquid water on their surface. However, the Hubble Telescope is not capable of determining if these planets actually have life on them.

5. Can the Hubble Telescope see Earth-like planets in other solar systems?

Yes, the Hubble Telescope has the ability to detect Earth-like planets in other solar systems. It does this by using a technique called transit photometry, which looks for dips in a star's brightness caused by a planet passing in front of it. However, the Hubble Telescope is not able to determine if these planets have the necessary conditions for life to exist.

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