Re: Maui Space Surveillance Complex Video


Message posted by uncleaina on November 14, 2013 at 12:30:28 PST:

I'm an amateur astronomer (besides a fan of A51 and many other aspects of military intelligence). There's a LOT of information about what they are doing shown in these frames. Very cool!

In the video you see the traditional observation domes and the Advanced Electro-Optical System (AEOS). The main thing that stands out compared to watching a "typical" telescope operate is how often the domes slew to new objects - dozens of times per night! You see them over and over again tracking an object then moving to the next one.

Then you see the honker AEOS in the round "space ship" housing. It's amazing because you can see it tracking a meteor in one shot! That HUGE optical assembly has the ability to move as fast as you see in those frames (note the time lapse effect stops for a second so you can see the optics track the meteor..that's amazing technology folks! It would be deadly to be near that telescope when it was actively tracking..)

And they're using a lot of adaptive optics and a laser guide star to get really clear views.

So it's interesting to wonder...they've got radar tracking these objects (Lockeed's Space Fence) - why do they need to -see- them so well? And so often? Clearly the AEOS is there basically waiting to see an inbound nuke or something anomalous, but watching all the object tracking being done by the 'plain' telescopes is interesting.

I live on Kauai at a very dark site. With my 8" scope I can see down to 15th magnitude many nights...it's pretty magical when the moon has set.


In Reply to: Maui Space Surveillance Complex Video posted by Gregos on November 12, 2013 at 11:11:42 PST:

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