Laser ranging on the moon had been carried out in the 50's without the use of reflectors. The moon is a fantastic reflector as demonstrated by it's appearance during both the night and day times.
Given the distance involved, the spread of the beam occurring in each direction of travel, the sender and the reflector both traveling at incredible distances and speeds, both bodies being in a state of rotation, and the fact that photons travel in a straight line, I'd need to see some pretty convincing evidence indicating that they are able to accurately resolve a reflector smaller than a beach umbrella.
It's for these very same reasons that we have yet to create a telescope on earth that can resolve such detail as to permanently lay to rest the question of "did man walk on the moon?" through observable and tangible evidence of a bunch of lawn chairs and tinfoil moon furniture.
The moon could just be a projection for all anyone really knows.
Its looks circular to me...sometimes crescent shaped but I have yet to see it as anything solid.
Are you being ironic?
Laser ranging on the moon had been carried out in the 50's without the use of reflectors. The moon is a fantastic reflector as demonstrated by it's appearance during both the night and day times.
Given the distance involved, the spread of the beam occurring in each direction of travel, the sender and the reflector both traveling at incredible distances and speeds, both bodies being in a state of rotation, and the fact that photons travel in a straight line, I'd need to see some pretty convincing evidence indicating that they are able to accurately resolve a reflector smaller than a beach umbrella.
It's for these very same reasons that we have yet to create a telescope on earth that can resolve such detail as to permanently lay to rest the question of "did man walk on the moon?" through observable and tangible evidence of a bunch of lawn chairs and tinfoil moon furniture.
The moon could just be a projection for all anyone really knows. Its looks circular to me...sometimes crescent shaped but I have yet to see it as anything solid.