<p>In brief: you cannot resolve details of an object on a scale less than roughly a wavelength or two.  The distance to the object only marginally affects this problem.  </p>

<p>So take a look at the wavelengths your radiotelescope is capable of receiving and compare with dimensions of interesting "features" on a human body.  </p>

<p>Further, as the comments pointed out, unless the human is either emitting radio-wavelength energy in significant amounts (unlikely) or is being "painted" by a large emitting source (as active radar systems do), you won't get any signal in the first place. </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T17:01:44.753Z
2018-09-26T17:01:44.753Z
Carl Witthoft
<p>Can an image of a person using a radio telescope see a person from far away? Could a radio telescope be made to see someone walking on Mars?</p>

<p><a href="https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/30477/could-we-see-someone-walking-on-mars-from-earth">https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/30477/could-we-see-someone-walking-on-mars-from-earth</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T00:13:32.243Z
How close is it to the guy? Can we put a camera 10 ft away from him and capture the data then relay it to an intermediate satellite? I think you need to revise your question a bit. You use a lot of terms and don't explain them fully in terms of the true question you're asking. Is this telescope on earth?
Magic Octopus Urn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T01:41:31.520Z
@MagicOctopusUrn revised
Muze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T01:47:51.400Z
Once again where is the observer-- I assume on earth? In orbit around earth? Orbit around mars? 10 ft from his face?
Magic Octopus Urn
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T01:57:13.670Z
@MagicOctopusUrn let us say Earth.
Muze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T03:11:38.093Z
I think the main problem here is "Will the person be emitting significant amounts of radio waves"?
Phiteros
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T03:24:56.750Z
Could radio waves be made linear then pinged off the person to create an image like a flash light radio strobe for long distant x-ray picture surface picture.
Muze
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-09-26T06:28:42.190Z
You aren't going to get much detail looking at a human with radio waves. We're rather transparent at that frequency, and the wavelength's way too big. Calculate the wavelegth of a 100 MHz FM radio wave. You'd have more luck with microwaves, aka radar.
PM 2Ring
<telescope><photography><radio-telescope><post-processing>
Is it possible to see an image with radio telescope of something not so far away in detail?
Muze
# Is it possible to see an image with radio telescope of something not so far away in detail?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-09-25)

Can an image of a person using a radio telescope see a person from far away? Could a radio telescope be made to see someone walking on Mars?

<https://space.stackexchange.com/questions/30477/could-we-see-someone-walking-on-mars-from-earth>

**Tags:** telescope, photography, radio-telescope, post-processing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How close is it to the guy? Can we put a camera 10 ft away from him and capture the data then relay it to an intermediate satellite? I think you need to revise your question a bit. You use a lot of terms and don't explain them fully in terms of the true question you're asking. Is this telescope on earth?  
> **username_0**: @MagicOctopusUrn revised  
> **username_1**: Once again where is the observer-- I assume on earth? In orbit around earth? Orbit around mars? 10 ft from his face?  
> **username_0**: @MagicOctopusUrn let us say Earth.  
> **username_2**: I think the main problem here is "Will the person be emitting significant amounts of radio waves"?  
> **username_0**: Could radio waves be made linear then pinged off the person to create an image like a flash light radio strobe for long distant x-ray picture surface picture.  
> **username_3**: You aren't going to get much detail looking at a human with radio waves. We're rather transparent at that frequency, and the wavelength's way too big. Calculate the wavelegth of a 100 MHz FM radio wave. You'd have more luck with microwaves, aka radar.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-09-26. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

In brief: you cannot resolve details of an object on a scale less than roughly a wavelength or two. The distance to the object only marginally affects this problem.

So take a look at the wavelengths your radiotelescope is capable of receiving and compare with dimensions of interesting "features" on a human body.

Further, as the comments pointed out, unless the human is either emitting radio-wavelength energy in significant amounts (unlikely) or is being "painted" by a large emitting source (as active radar systems do), you won't get any signal in the first place.


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