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ArcticMyst Security by Avery

You can't see laser beams in space.






Cyparagon

Cyparagon

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Could be lens flare, a reflection, camera artifact, data corruption, electrical interference, cosmic ray interference, or several other things. It could also be the beam that was created in the atmosphere, and not in space. We are looking down on the planet, after all.

The only important paragraph from the article is:

"the laser beam was actually a test firing of the new Optical Payload for Laser Communcation, or OPALS, system run in part by NASA from its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California."
 
Polonium210

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I would say you probably could see the beam in space as the laser would refract off any space dust or ice particles floating around.
 
Pi R Squared

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The ISS is still within the ionosphere, it might be possible to see a laser if it's powerful enough. The other explanation would be that it's not a laser.

Alan
 
Blarg King

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Space dust/ debris, residual atmosphere (theres enough atmosphere at ISS height to cause drag on the ISS)

Also, if it was aliens, and they had hostile intent, then the ISS would be a vapor cloud by now.
 
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busman2

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It is a Ray Gun. Aliens have the technology to build these but are just working on one powerful enough to actually do some damage. They will be back when they have got it right!:na:
 
Blarg King

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Aliens have observed us playing with cats and lasers and are trying to get us to do the same.
 
Moebius

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Blarg King said:
Space dust/ debris, residual atmosphere (theres enough atmosphere at ISS height to cause drag on the ISS)
Click to expand...

So do they need to periodically use payload assist rockets to boost the ISS to a higher altitude?
 
Teej

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It looked more like a reflection of a red led on a window, etc, than a beam....to me at least.

The explanation that aliens have invented a red death ray, but, didn't know it would not work on earth-based technology...and, have not figured out how to aim their death ray...seems less plausible.

I'd go with observational artifact over alien attack on this one.
 
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Mattronium

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I definitely don't think it is a laser beam.

First, it is too bright. Since there are fewer particles at 400km (What is the ISS's current height?) there will be less particles for the laser to bounce of off. This is one reason it looks like lasers "end" at a few hundred feet, because there are fewer particles.

Second, if it is a laser why is there a red dot at the end?

Third, you also have the problem with divergence. At 400km with an initial beam diameter of 1 meter the laser would be 100 meters wide (at 0.25mRad). Problem is the closer the laser is to the observer the better the divergence must be, and the further away it is the more power is needed.
 
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Alaskan

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Aha, these engineers think of everything, why let an opportunity to gain energy go to waste, smart.

Mattronium said:
. This is one reason it looks like lasers "end" at a few hundred feet, because there are fewer particles
Click to expand...

I've had this question in mind for awhile now without understanding how far our visible beams really go. I can see a spot on cloud decks several thousand feet above me at night, but on a clear night, the beam just seems to end before going that far. I've thought this must be due to perspective or perhaps more so due to divergence weakening the amount of energy in a beam per square centimeter the further it travels, maybe that and less particles at altitude or a lot of weakening of the beam due to particles. I'd like to get a better understanding of what is happening.

Are all four of these why our laser beams seem to just end? Which of the following have the most pronounced effect to cause this?

1. Perspective?
2. Divergence?
3. Weakening due particles?
4. Less reflection due less particles at higher altitudes?
 
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W

WriggleyTinn

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I've read somewhere that the eye can't see parallel line efficiently and the brain says it ends.... I've had people say they can see my beam when they are behond where I see it ending..... though it wasn't me trying to flash the space station, honest.(the key is to do it when you know where it is but the sun is not reflecting from it back to earth).... As they can see a 1w laser shone toward them from earth according to NASA :-D
 
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