[Laser] moon repeater

[laser@mailman.qth.net]

Hmmmm.  This is an interesting idea.  I wonder how big a "spot" you can get 
per kilogram of spheres?

At full moon, it might be big enough to see in a small telescope.  There may 
be a natural equivalent -- there is a bright ring around most craters and rays 
that radiate from them which are noticeable on full moons.   

I also think that a flat mirror on the moon would work with more efficiency 
than retroreflectors.  The field of view of the earth is less than two degrees. 
 That is under 35 milliradians.  A small curve to expand the beam to 
.......say 10 milliradians........ might be as effective as, and a lot cheaper than 
retroreflector.   It would have to be aligned, but that might be done 
robitically, and as the Moon rocks on its axis, it may require re-adjustment.

On another subject, the story of the eyeball EME using a commercial laser 
display device to point at the moon and then being able to see a flash from the 
Apollo reflectors:   I believe in health skepticism.  Can anybody run an 
estimate on how many photons would have come back to the Earth from such a round 
trip.

I have heard that the human eye can detect a single photon, in a dark room.  
Bye for now.

James
N5GUI




>>>>>>
I suppose one could lobby NASA to explode a large package of glass
micro-spheres [the kind used in highway centerline paint] over the lunar
surface.    -ka1rxx