Would a laser go on forever in space?

A: The light from a laser in space would continue on forever unless it hit something. However, if you were far enough away, you wouldn't be able to detect the light. A projectile would also continue on forever unless it hit something.

Would a laser gun work in space?

Currently they do not. The power supply for a weapons-grade laser is enrmous and heavy. There are much better ways to knock out a spacecraft than lugging a monster power supply up there.

Would a laser beam be visible in space?

While traveling through the vacuum of space, laser beams are invisible unless shot directly into your eye. The experience you know of as vision consists of light entering your eyes and being detecting by cells on your retinas. You can't see any light that never enters your eyes.

Could a laser pointer reach the Moon?

The typical red laser pointer is about 5 milliwatts, and a good one has a tight enough beam to actually hit the Moon—though it'd be spread out over a large fraction of the surface when it got there. The atmosphere would distort the beam a bit, and absorb some of it, but most of the light would make it.

How long would it take a laser beam to reach Mars?

But some researchers think it could be the future of space travel. A newly published scientific paper outlines how a giant laser array could be used to propel a spacecraft to Mars in just 45 days.

Can You See A Laser Pointer From The Space Station?

How long does it take a laser to bounce off the moon?

By measuring how long it takes laser light to bounce back — about 2.5 seconds on average — researchers can calculate the distance between Earth laser stations and Moon reflectors down to less than a few millimeters. This is about the thickness of an orange peel.

How long would it take a spaceship to go 4 light years?

Proxima Centauri is 4.2 light-years from Earth, a distance that would take about 6,300 years to travel using current technology. Such a trip would take many generations.

Can we destroy an asteroid with laser?

"It depends on the exact circumstances. If, say, a 100-meter-wide asteroid were found today on a collision course with Earth next week, directed energy would not be a viable solution as that would require a very large laser array that would be far bigger than an equally effective single-use impactor or explosive.

Can a laser cut an asteroid?

Laser ablation is a promising method because it allows an asteroid to be redirected without breaking the asteroid into smaller pieces, each of which may pose its own threat to Earth.

What happens if you point a laser into the sky?

Although laser pointers do not produce a lot of light on the ground, when projected into the sky, the light disperses and the beam becomes much larger. This can temporarily blind a pilot, putting them and the hundreds of passengers on their plane at risk.

How far is the farthest laser?

ScienceDaily, 16 December 2009. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091215160000.htm>. Aston University. "World's longest laser -- 270 km long -- created." ScienceDaily.

Can laser go through clouds?

Lasers can also be used to target a single person, meaning it's a highly secure form of communication." But there is a problem: the laser beams cannot penetrate clouds and fog. So, if the weather is bad, it is impossible to transmit information using lasers.

Can you point a green laser in the sky?

Select green

For star pointing, green is best. The human eye sees green much better than the same amount of red or blue, so a 5mW green laser appears to be 5 to 10 times brighter than a 5mW red laser. Looking at a green beam in the sky should not adversely affect night vision.

Can you fire a bullet in space?

Yes. Bullets carry their own oxidising agent in the explosive of the cartridge (which is sealed, anyway) so there's no need for atmospheric oxygen to ignite the propellant.

Will laser guns ever exist?

In theory, advances in battery technology eventually could make such weapons possible. But even if they do, the weapons may not fire the bright green or red beams sci-fi fans might expect. Most research into laser weapons that are intended to scorch targets makes use of non-visible wavelengths of light.

Are weapons legal in space?

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in outer space, prohibits military activities on celestial bodies, and details legally binding rules governing the peaceful exploration and use of space.

What Cannot be cut by laser?

Materials you should not process with a laser

Leather and artificial leather that contains chromium (VI) Carbon fibers (Carbon) Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) Polyvinyl butyrale (PVB)

Is there anything a laser can't cut?

This is the frequency of light the laser cutter uses to cut materials, so it is very ineffective at cutting polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is a poor choice for laser cutting. ABS Emits cyanide gas and tends to melt ABS does not cut well in a laser cutter.

Would a nuke stop an asteroid?

Using high-fidelity simulations, scientists reported in a study published earlier this month that a stealthy asteroid as long as 330 feet could be annihilated by a one-megaton nuclear device, with 99.9 percent of its mass being blasted out of Earth's way, if the asteroid is attacked at least two months before impact.

Can NASA stop an asteroid?

An asteroid on a trajectory to impact Earth could not be shot down in the last few minutes or even hours before impact. No known weapon system could stop the mass because of the velocity at which it travels – an average of 12 miles per second.

What are 3 ways to stop an asteroid from hitting Earth?

This could be done by impacting it with a non-destructive projectile, simply tugging the asteroid into a different orbit with a nearby high-mass spacecraft, ablating the asteroid's surface with a high-power laser (or a nearby nuclear explosion), or by placing small rockets on the asteroid's surface.

What is the closest potentially habitable planet?

Proxima Centauri b (or Proxima b), sometimes referred to as Alpha Centauri Cb, is an exoplanet orbiting within the habitable zone of the red dwarf star Proxima Centauri, which is the closest star to the Sun and part of the triple star system Alpha Centauri.

How many years is 1 light-year?

Light-year is the distance light travels in one year. Light zips through interstellar space at 186,000 miles (300,000 kilometers) per second and 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers) per year.

How long would it take humans to travel 1 light-year?

Even if we hopped aboard the space shuttle discovery, which can travel 5 miles a second, it would take us about 37,200 years to go one light-year.