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What Could We See with a Planet-Sized Telescope?

Season 13 Episode 6 | 16m 00s

The James Webb Telescope just took a photo of a newly discovered exoplanet. Exciting stuff but the raw image just looks like a small, faint dot—not a fully detailed world. The question is, just how big would a telescope need to be to actually see an alien world in detail? Let’s explore diffraction, resolution, wild telescope tech, and one mind-blowing idea that could change everything.

Aired: 05/26/25
Extras
Discover how two revolutionary ancient inventions changed the course of humanity forever.
Learn about Marlee Matlin, Oscar-winning actress and champion of the Deaf community.
Marlee Matlin refused to allow a hearing actor to play her Deaf husband in the 2021 film “CODA.”
Marlee Matlin visits the house she grew up in Morton Grove, Illinois.
Follow ancient humans’ journey into an icy and perilous new land.
The Xudum pride works together to bring down a huge buffalo, but things don't go according to plan.
A new generation of lions, cheetahs, and leopards comes of age in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
Phil Sharp’s RNA breakthrough sparked a revolution in science, health, and biotech.
Discover how Homo sapiens outlasted Neanderthals – and how they helped make us who we are today.
Lediba shows off her incredible agility while hunting monkeys high above the ground in the treetops.
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