Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Ken & Raoul Pay More Attention

re: telescopes
Raoul — (archived)

Well, I was wondering if an IR telescope in space could be protected against the heat from the Sun the same way it would inside a crater where sunlight never shines.
It seems to me that a telescope in space would need a very large shield between it and the sun and that shield must always be able to keep the telescope in a permanent shadow. The shield shouldn't even be physically attached to the telescope, otherwise some heat can be transmitted through conduction or radiance (not convection because of 0G).
But keeping a telescope at a small enough distance from the shield for it to be protected against the sun, will require constant manoeuvering (and thus motors).
But on the Moon, at the poles, within craters, its bulk should protect the telescope from any heat.
Of course, astronauts walking in the proximity would disturb the efficiency of the scope (but then, like with HST, it would be put in a safe mode).
I'm ready to rule out scopes on the Moon if I'm proven IR telescopes won't need something (like liquid Helium) to keep them cold and which limits their lifespan.

Raoul

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