[Laser] Re:: heliograph vs. laser indeed!

[Tim Toast]

Here are some pages with info on telescope resolution:
http://ceres.hsc.edu/homepages/classes/astronomy/fall97/Mathematics/sec16.html
http://www.hardin-optical.com/dawes.html 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dawes_limit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angular_resolution

Although the resolution formulas apply to any lens or
mirror no matter the use, i imagine the atmospheric effects
that we experience in long distance through-the-air links 
are not fully expressed in them. In ground based astronomy,
without adaptive optics, you're pretty much limited to 0.5
or 1 arc-second resolution or so, -and that is for looking
upward through just one or two atmospheres. Maybe that
'fudge factor' (null, 1.22, 70 etc..) in the formula can be
adjusted according to the number of atmospheres in your
path to get an even more accurate idea of power densities
at long distances. 



       
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