25-04-2014, 03:35 PM
Steve, this question was put to Duncan:
Thermal satellite is fairly easy technology. If you look at weather satellites they give high-contrast color separation to cloud temperatures that vary by only 125 degrees or so. The heat exhaust off the 777 engine would be hundreds of degrees against a -50 degree background and should be easily within existing technology. Especially when the aircraft was allegedly flying well out of normal flyways in the middle of nowhere. Especially with a 7 hour lead time post-9/11.
To which he replied:
" Sorry, but you show there a total lack of understanding of the physics involved. According your comment a satellite sensor working in the thermal IR (say around 5 micron wavelength) should be able to detect the heat from a lighted cigarette from orbit. Before one can say anything useful one must understand far more about physics than you do. "
Duncan sounds like a bit of a phony to me since jet exhaust is 1600f degrees. His cigarette answer is silly and makes me think he's a bit of a pompous bluffer. If a weather satellite can put extreme color coding contrast on cloud temperature differences of only a few tens of degrees then heat signature detection satellites should be able to identify the 1600 degree exhaust of a jet engine against a -50 degree backdrop. I think our snobby expert just doesn't want to admit he's clueless.
Thermal satellite is fairly easy technology. If you look at weather satellites they give high-contrast color separation to cloud temperatures that vary by only 125 degrees or so. The heat exhaust off the 777 engine would be hundreds of degrees against a -50 degree background and should be easily within existing technology. Especially when the aircraft was allegedly flying well out of normal flyways in the middle of nowhere. Especially with a 7 hour lead time post-9/11.
To which he replied:
" Sorry, but you show there a total lack of understanding of the physics involved. According your comment a satellite sensor working in the thermal IR (say around 5 micron wavelength) should be able to detect the heat from a lighted cigarette from orbit. Before one can say anything useful one must understand far more about physics than you do. "
Duncan sounds like a bit of a phony to me since jet exhaust is 1600f degrees. His cigarette answer is silly and makes me think he's a bit of a pompous bluffer. If a weather satellite can put extreme color coding contrast on cloud temperature differences of only a few tens of degrees then heat signature detection satellites should be able to identify the 1600 degree exhaust of a jet engine against a -50 degree backdrop. I think our snobby expert just doesn't want to admit he's clueless.