There are innumerable unused farm silos scattered all across the USA, probably across the world. Suppose a small radio dish were designed to fit an old silo, and these were installed in silos all over the continent, with appropriate domes over them, then combined into a very large interferometer. I suppose it could also be done with optical telescopes and a somewhat more complicated dome. I realize this would be an expensive project, but would the improved resolution not make it well worth it?Or do I not know what I'm talking about?
Large radio telescopes in Australia can be hooked up to scopes in the western USA and Hawaii for interferometer use. That gives a baseline of nearly the diameter of the planet, though of course they can only be used as such for a short time and on things seen from both hemispheres. www.atnf.csiro.au/ www.parkes.atnf.csiro.au/ www.narrabri.atnf.csiro.au/ www.vlba.nrao.edu/ Your idea might be good for a state college or university as it could give some worthwhile experience to students.
we are looking at space before we go it will ruin it iguess,i t is boring anyway
What does the silo add? A small dish wouldn't accomplish much. We already have long-baseline interferometry. Indeed, the highest-resolution astronomical pictures have all been done this way.
Hi. No, you seem to know that the distance between observation points can be used to improve resolution, but silos may not be the best choice. Most are pretty small in diameter. Look at the size of a silo dome compared the the diameter of the individual reflectors of the VLA in New Mexico. www.vla.nrao.edu/ I would think that a similar scaled array spread over the planet would work better. And would not be controlled by individual farmers.
