Are There Telescopes That Can See The Flag And Lunar Rover?

The moon has always fascinated us. From its mysterious craters to its beautiful surface, the moon has captured our imagination since ancient times. 

There are several types of telescopes that can observe the moon. Some of them are large and heavy, while some are compact and portable.

They range from simple binoculars to high-end professional models.

Sometimes, people use some of these powerful telescopes in the hopes of being able to see the lunar rover and the flag, but is this an exercise in futility? Let’s discuss the matter in more detail.

What Is A Telescope?

A telescope is a device used to magnify objects. Telescopes come in many different shapes and sizes.

Some telescopes are designed to magnify objects while others are designed to create a specific type of light. 

Telescopes are usually made up of several parts. These include the objective lens, eyepieces, finder scope, and tripod.

Objective Lens

An objective lens is the main part of a telescope. It is what actually focuses the image onto your eye or camera. An objective lens is usually made out of glass or plastic.

There are also special lenses called aspherical lenses which make it possible for you to view images with more clarity. 

Eyepiece

The eyepiece is where you place your eyes when using a telescope. It allows you to look at an object through the telescope without having to hold it directly.

Eyepieces come in various sizes depending on how big the telescope is. 

Finder Scope

The finder scope is another important part of any telescope. This is where you align your telescope so that you can get the best view of the sky.

Tripod

A tripod is essential when observing the night sky. Without a tripod, you would not be able to keep the telescope steady.

Different Types Of Telescopes To See The Moon With

Because of their magnification ability, most telescopes are actually able to see the moon pretty clearly.

Depending on the kind of telescope you have, you can get different image results.

Refractor Telescopes

These telescopes work by using lenses to focus light rays coming from objects.

Refractors are usually large and heavy. They are also very expensive. However, they produce sharp images.

Cassegrain Telescopes

This type of telescope works differently than refractors. Instead of focusing light rays, Cassegrain uses mirrors to do so.

Because of this, they are smaller and lighter than refractors. Cassegrains are also more affordable than refractors.

Rigid Tube Telescope

This type of telescope uses a tube that is rigidly attached to a mount. A mirror at the end of the tube focuses light rays onto a camera or eyepiece.

Rigid tubes are usually small and lightweight. They are also inexpensive.

Lunar Rover And The Flag On The Moon

The Lunar Rover is a vehicle used by astronauts on the moon. It is equipped with cameras and other sensors.

These devices allow astronauts to take pictures and videos of their surroundings.

The images taken by the Lunar Rover are sent back to Earth via radio waves.

In addition to the Lunar Rover, NASA also has a flag on the moon. In fact, it is the only country that has a flag on the lunar surface.

The flag was planted by astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin during the moon landing mission. It measures 10 feet wide and 5 feet tall.

Can You See The Lunar Rover And The Moon Using A Telescope?

Telescopes are powerful, but not that powerful. While you will be able to see the moon using your average telescope, seeing specific sites on the moon would require a professional telescope that most people won’t have access to.

This is because the average telescope doesn’t have the magnification strength to see details on the moon.

To see details on the moon, you’d need a telescope with a zoom of at least 50x.

However, even if you do own such a telescope, chances are you wouldn’t be able to see the lunar flag or the Lunar Rover.

If you do decide to buy one, make sure that it has a good zoom lens. Telescopes with a long focal length will give you a better view of the moon.

If you want to get even closer, then you should consider buying a refractor or reflector telescope.

If you don’t want to spend too much money, then you could try using a smartphone or camera as a telescope.

Before you shake your head and dub this idea crazy, just hold on. There are apps out there that let you point your phone at the sky and capture images. 

However, keep in mind that the quality of the image will depend on how clear the night is.

As well as this, there are some cameras, like the Nikon P900, and phones like the Samsung Galaxy S21, that are capable of zooming into the moon.

Will I Be Able To See The Flag On The Moon?

Sorry to burst your bubble, but no, there are no telescopes in existence powerful enough to make out the American flag planted on the moon.

The technology just simply does not exist yet. Even the Hubble Space Telescope, which is considered the most impressive and important telescope in existence, is unable to get good visuals of the moon flag.

Is It Possible For Me To See The Lunar Rover?

It’s more bad news, I’m afraid. You will not be able to see the lunar rover from Earth using a telescope.

Hypothetically, it is possible, but you’d need something along the lines of a 75 meter, state-of-the-art, research-grade telescope to get the job done, and such a thing doesn’t exist.

But even if it did, it wouldn’t be accessible by the average Joe with a hankering to see the moon up close.

Does this mean you can totally give up on seeing modern images of the landing sites, the rover, and, of course, the American flag?

Nope, but you can give up on spotting these lunar landmarks yourself through your telescope.

Other Ways To See The Flag An Lunar Rover

A few years ago, NASA launched an unmanned spacecraft called LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter).

This satellite was designed to orbit around the moon for about three months.

It’s still up there orbiting the moon as we speak, gathering data and taking tons of pictures of the moon’s surface, including the areas where the rover and flag are resting.

NASA posts the majority of the data and pictures on their website, so if you really want to get an eye full of the flag and the rover, have a flick through the shots and see what you can find.

Even the ones that don’t show famous landing sites are absolutely breathtaking to see.

Final Thoughts

Although telescope technology has come a long, long way over the centuries, we’re still a fair way off being able to see such small details as the flag and lunar rover through a consumer-grade scope.

The truth of the matter is that we may never be able to see these iconic scenes in our own astronomical pursuits.

But all is not lost! At least we have NASA’s LRO, our man on the inside, snapping prize shots of the moon every single day — hurray!