Betelgeuse is about 430 light-years away. If it had gone supernova 429 years ago, would it be possible to see this with Hubble if you zoom in on it, while it is not yet visible to the naked eye?
Asker: simon, 27 years old
Answer
No, Hubble is, just like our eyes, a receiver of light, and so, just like our eyes, it has to wait for that light to arrive. Zooming in does not mean that you bring yourself closer to the subject, but that you magnify the central part of the image. So Hubble will see it at the same time as we do with our eyes.
Answered by
prof.dr. Paul Hellings
Department of Mathematics, Fac. IIW, KU Leuven
Catholic University of Leuven
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/
Old Market 13 3000 Leuven
https://www.kuleuven.be/
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