Posted by Alexander from 92.52.26.24.cfl.rr.com (24.26.52.92) on Sunday, September 07, 2003 at 1:10AM :
In Reply to: you're right posted by Sadie from D006180.N1.Vanderbilt.Edu (129.59.6.180) on Sunday, September 07, 2003 at 0:23AM :
Did you know that the CIA's boasting of having the ability to see a dime on a street from outerspace is entirely bogus? That is absolutely not true. They just made that up, and unfortunately, people believe it, I for myself wondered if it could be true, but thought against it when I considered the effects of lighting over such long distances and the distortions caused by air and other matter in the atmosphere, and thats how I knew it wasn't possible. But if it were something like looking from outerspace to another part of outerspace with that camera, and zooming in, then I might believe, and would probably believe, since there is less distortion. However, light is bent very easily, more so than we tend to think, and distorted quite rapidly from the minute it escapes its origin point. When we examine pictures from outerspace, we see only the enhanced light, nothing more. We are not actually looking closer or farther away, just magnifying the light intensity so we can examine it in more detail. Hence, the picture appears to be closer. But anyway, you are right, and I know what you say is true. You are certainly one of the smartest persons in here.:)
-- Alexander
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