<p>No</p>
<p>For a telescope to be useful, the particles/waves that the telescope detects must reach the telescope.  This is why space is a great place to put a telescope: there is nothing, not even air, to block the particles/waves.</p>
<p>Light does not penetrate beyond a few mm into the ground, so a telescope in a mine will not get any light from the stars.  Bluntly, it is dark underground.</p>
<p>Of course the telescope will &quot;function&quot;, but there aren't any stars to see.</p>
<p>Radio waves might penetrate slightly further, but only a metre or so. Not to mine depths. No form of electromagnetic radiation, nor even cosmic rays can penetrate deep into rock.</p>
<p>One type of &quot;telescope&quot; that is normally placed in mines is the neutrino detector.  Particles called &quot;neutrinos&quot; penetrate right through the Earth. By putting a <a href="https://astro-canada.ca/l_observatoire_de_neutrinos_de_sudbury-the_sudbury_neutrino_observatory-eng" rel="nofollow noreferrer">neutrino detector in a mine</a> you shield them from other particles that could cause false readings.  However a neutrino detector is quite unlike a regular light telescope. It observes sources of neutrinos: mostly the sun, but also supernovae in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Not stars, planets etc in the solar system.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-25T10:56:02.580Z
Isn't it a bit of a stretch to call a particle detector a "telescope", which is generically defined as "an optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer, containing an arrangement of lenses, or of curved mirrors and lenses, by which rays of light are collected and focused and the resulting image magnified" ?
Daddy Kropotkin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-25T11:41:38.147Z
Yes, it is.  Hence the use of "scare quotes" around the word "telescope" in the last paragraph, and the phrase "a neutrino detector is quite unlike a regular light telescope"... on the other hand, could you not say that an optical telescope is an imaging photon detector?
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-25T11:45:26.627Z
Given the confusion of the OP, I feel like this point could be make much more clearly, but perhaps the point is already sufficiently made. And, one could say that IF the optical telescope was designed as such, but not all optical telescopes are designed using photon detectors. However, all particle detectors do not use optical systems.
Daddy Kropotkin
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T13:14:43.537Z
2021-10-25T11:57:40.727Z
2021-10-25T11:57:40.727Z
James K
<p>I would like to add to James K's answer that also a gravitational wave telescopes can be built underground. Actually this is exactly what is being planned for the <a href="http://www.et-gw.eu/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Einstein Telescope</a>, and what has been done for <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAGRA" rel="nofollow noreferrer">KAGRA</a>.
Like a neutrino detector, a gravitational wave telescope is very different from an electromagnetic telescope (tube with lenses/mirrors). It detects gravitational wave sources like black hole or neutron star mergers. It cannot be used to study stars and planets as is normally done with optical telescopes. However, gravitational wave detectors can be used to study the physics of stars. For examples, LISA will probe for brown dwarf stars near the galactic center, and LIGO/Virgo could potentially probe supernova physics relevant for understanding stellar evolution and compact object formation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-25T09:12:40.420Z
2021-10-25T19:36:12.287Z
2021-10-25T19:36:12.287Z
Prallax
<p>Theoretically and Practically,
Can a Telescope function for the astronomer observed from underground mines? By &quot;telescope&quot; I mean the instrument used by astronomers to observe stars, planets etc in the solar system.</p>
<p>The answer could be some Telescopes might, some may not</p>
<p>Or</p>
<p>Any Telescope will not be useful to the Underground miner.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T13:04:52.047Z
What do you mean  "observed from underground mines" Do you mean the telescope is underground?  By "telescope" do you mean the kind of thing in the picture, or would you accept something that is very different from a "tube with a mirror and lenses"  What is the purpose of the picture? Why do you ask the question?  How can we avoid the obvious answer?  It seems an odd question to ask, but there is at least one kind of particle detector that might be place in a mine... I'm just not sure if you'd call it a telescope.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T13:07:04.180Z
Thanks James. Yes, The Telescope is in the underground mine. The Telescope is the instrument used by astronomers to observe stars, planets etc in the solar system.
Prashant Akerkar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T13:16:13.420Z
Even if you had a shaft deep underground that shows you the sky, any object of interest would pass by quickly, becoming unavailable for observations. So no, not a good idea.
AtmosphericPrisonEscape
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T13:21:25.370Z
What is the point of the pictures?
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T15:37:20.990Z
Illustrations of underground mines.
Prashant Akerkar
CC BY-SA 4.0
2021-10-23T20:57:53.473Z
We know what "mine" means.  I've deleted them.
James K
<observational-astronomy><telescope><stellar-astrophysics><space-telescope>
Telescope/s functioning from underground mines
Prashant Akerkar
# Telescope/s functioning from underground mines

(Asked by: username_0 on 2021-10-23)

Theoretically and Practically,
Can a Telescope function for the astronomer observed from underground mines? By "telescope" I mean the instrument used by astronomers to observe stars, planets etc in the solar system.

The answer could be some Telescopes might, some may not

Or

Any Telescope will not be useful to the Underground miner.

**Tags:** observational-astronomy, telescope, stellar-astrophysics, space-telescope

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What do you mean  "observed from underground mines" Do you mean the telescope is underground?  By "telescope" do you mean the kind of thing in the picture, or would you accept something that is very different from a "tube with a mirror and lenses"  What is the purpose of the picture? Why do you ask the question?  How can we avoid the obvious answer?  It seems an odd question to ask, but there is at least one kind of particle detector that might be place in a mine... I'm just not sure if you'd call it a telescope.  
> **username_0**: Thanks username_1. Yes, The Telescope is in the underground mine. The Telescope is the instrument used by astronomers to observe stars, planets etc in the solar system.  
> **username_2**: Even if you had a shaft deep underground that shows you the sky, any object of interest would pass by quickly, becoming unavailable for observations. So no, not a good idea.  
> **username_1**: What is the point of the pictures?  
> **username_0**: Illustrations of underground mines.  
> **username_1**: We know what "mine" means.  I've deleted them.  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2021-10-23. Score: 7

No

For a telescope to be useful, the particles/waves that the telescope detects must reach the telescope. This is why space is a great place to put a telescope: there is nothing, not even air, to block the particles/waves.

Light does not penetrate beyond a few mm into the ground, so a telescope in a mine will not get any light from the stars. Bluntly, it is dark underground.

Of course the telescope will "function", but there aren't any stars to see.

Radio waves might penetrate slightly further, but only a metre or so. Not to mine depths. No form of electromagnetic radiation, nor even cosmic rays can penetrate deep into rock.

One type of "telescope" that is normally placed in mines is the neutrino detector. Particles called "neutrinos" penetrate right through the Earth. By putting a [neutrino detector in a mine](https://astro-canada.ca/l_observatoire_de_neutrinos_de_sudbury-the_sudbury_neutrino_observatory-eng) you shield them from other particles that could cause false readings. However a neutrino detector is quite unlike a regular light telescope. It observes sources of neutrinos: mostly the sun, but also supernovae in the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Not stars, planets etc in the solar system.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: Isn't it a bit of a stretch to call a particle detector a "telescope", which is generically defined as "an optical instrument designed to make distant objects appear nearer, containing an arrangement of lenses, or of curved mirrors and lenses, by which rays of light are collected and focused and the resulting image magnified" ?  
> **username_1**: Yes, it is.  Hence the use of "scare quotes" around the word "telescope" in the last paragraph, and the phrase "a neutrino detector is quite unlike a regular light telescope"... on the other hand, could you not say that an optical telescope is an imaging photon detector?  
> **username_3**: Given the confusion of the OP, I feel like this point could be make much more clearly, but perhaps the point is already sufficiently made. And, one could say that IF the optical telescope was designed as such, but not all optical telescopes are designed using photon detectors. However, all particle detectors do not use optical systems.  

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### Answer by username_4 on 2021-10-25. Score: 2

I would like to add to username_1's answer that also a gravitational wave telescopes can be built underground. Actually this is exactly what is being planned for the [Einstein Telescope](http://www.et-gw.eu/), and what has been done for [KAGRA](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/KAGRA).
Like a neutrino detector, a gravitational wave telescope is very different from an electromagnetic telescope (tube with lenses/mirrors). It detects gravitational wave sources like black hole or neutron star mergers. It cannot be used to study stars and planets as is normally done with optical telescopes. However, gravitational wave detectors can be used to study the physics of stars. For examples, LISA will probe for brown dwarf stars near the galactic center, and LIGO/Virgo could potentially probe supernova physics relevant for understanding stellar evolution and compact object formation.


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