What is the theoretical minimum mirror size required to resolve surface features like Earth's continents on a planet light-years away?
Answer
On the scale of kilometers across.
The physical limitation preventing the resolution of surface features, such as continents or oceans, on distant exoplanets is fundamentally rooted in the physics of light diffraction. To achieve the necessary angular resolution—sharpness—required to distinguish features as small as 1,000 kilometers on a planet located many light-years away, theoretical calculations indicate the need for a single telescope mirror spanning kilometers in diameter. Since current engineering capabilities are far from achieving mirrors of this monumental size, seeing surface details remains firmly in the domain of future technology, forcing current efforts toward analyzing atmospheric composition during transits.
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