Re: [FT] Sensor range question

Hi Beth - 

On Mon, 26 Apr 1999, Beth Fulton wrote:

>	OK all you techno-wizzes out there what's your opinion on the
sensor range
> issue in FT? Derek tried doing some stuff up based on other rule sets
he's
> got, but the ranges ended up miniscule - especially when you consider
how
> well we can watch our own solar system right now.

I don't have an answer for you as this is something I've just been
starting to look into myself, but here's one thing to keep in mind:  we
really -can't- watch our solar system, not for anything ship size,
unless
it comes very close to us.  For example, we know there have to be
multitudes of small (< 1 km or so) asteroids out there, but most of what
we detect is on the km to hundreds of km scales.  Also for example, lot
of
the moons of the outer planets have never been seen at all from Earth. 
So
while my answer to your question has to be "I don't know (yet)", the
numbers Derek is getting may not be all that unreasonable.

Of course, it also depends upon how bright your engines are too...

Just food for thought..
Keith

kwatt@astro.umd.edu
Univ. of Maryland Astronomy