# Realistic Star Trek Style Sensors **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105 "2005-12-17T22:45:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105/1 "2005-12-17T22:45:59Z")
There was a thread on this, but I’ve been unable to find it, no matter how hard I flail the hamsters. Were we to attempt to build a spaceship like the _Enterprise_ what types of sensors could we put on the ship? Obviously it’d have radar, telescopes designed to “see” in the various EM spectrums, and possibly a neutrino detector (if the on-board water tank was large enough), anything else? ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105/2 "2005-12-17T22:58:50Z")
I can’t be of much help here personally, but [This Link](http://ssdoo.gsfc.nasa.gov/education/just_for_fun/startrek.html) should at least give your some pointers or direction. Interesting question, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105/3 "2005-12-18T06:37:17Z")
You’d also have active sensors in other parts of the EM spectrum, in addition to radar. Lidar (using laser light) is commonly used, and in principle, one could use any part of the spectrum (though I’m not sure how practical it would be). There are other particles than neutrinoes which could be detected, as well. Most of them aren’t practical for astronomy, since their lifespans are far too short to reach us from astronomical sources, but they might be useful for looking at a planet from orbit. And Star Trek-level technology could probably put pretty good gravitational sensors on a ship, too. Gravitational wave detectors might not be too practical, since you can’t get appreciable amounts of gravitational waves from anything on a planet (or anything short of a very close binary star system), but static differential gravitometers are already used for detecting caves and mineral deposits. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105/4 "2005-12-18T08:25:48Z")
Here ya go. > **["Star Trek" Sensors](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=220386)** > > I’m putting this in GQ and not CS because I’m not interested in the technobabble that the series writers have come up with what they are and what they do over the years. What I want to know is if we were going to equip a spaceship with sensors what... ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105/5 "2005-12-18T08:42:44Z")
“Telescopes in various EM spectrums” isn’t trivial at all. It needs to include not just imaging in all wavelength bands, but also high spectral resolution and full polarization parameters (circular _and_ linear polarization components). It also needs to be able to observe multiple wavelengths and polarizations simultaneously, at a very high cadence. > [@Chronos](#): > > You’d also have active sensors in other parts of the EM spectrum, in addition to radar. I agree. I think [X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy](http://www.amptek.com/xrf.html) falls in this category as well. If you have a neutrino detector, it may also make sense to have a neutrino source so you can masure the scattering or transmission. > [@](#): > > There are other particles than neutrinoes which could be detected, as well. Most of them aren’t practical for astronomy, since their lifespans are far too short to reach us from astronomical sources, but they might be useful for looking at a planet from orbit. Hey, solar physics is astronomy too. Neutrons and charged particles (“solar wind”) from the sun are routinely observed, and provide valuable information about solar activity. Also, there’s only so much you can do from a single vantage point. Observations of planetary magnetic field structure require direct (in-situ) measurements at many locations simultaneously. That means a large number of probes equipped with magnetometers, particle analyzers, plasma wave sensors, etc. You also want duplicate set of telescopes on probes, looking at the target from different angles. And of course probes to land on planets, asteroids, etc. to analyze the atmosphere and surface. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2005, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105/6 "2005-12-18T10:35:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > You’d also have active sensors in other parts of the EM spectrum, in addition to radar. Lidar (using laser light) is commonly used, and in principle, one could use any part of the spectrum (though I’m not sure how practical it would be). Lidar. It’s pretty much my favorite radar… bred for its skills in magic. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2005, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/realistic-star-trek-style-sensors/336105/7 "2005-12-19T01:34:47Z")
> [@Enola Straight](#): > > Here ya go. > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=220386](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=220386) Wow, I didn’t realize that I’d started that thread as well. [Kirk] Must be getting senile. [/Kirk]