> ## Content Index
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# What Could We See with a Planet-Sized Telescope?
- URL: https://www.cascadepbs.org/show/its-okay-be-smart/episode/what-could-we-see-with-a-planet-sized-telescope-k4vqmz/
- Published: 2025-06-05T13:45:52.000Z
- Updated: 2025-08-20T09:56:05.000Z
- Description: Just how big would a telescope need to be to actually see an alien world in detail?
- Author: Cascade PBS Staff
- Tags: Be Smart, Season 13, Episode 6, #ZZZ_Episode_6f8d1dff-87c7-4a79-b37e-13e7ed95e7a1, #episode, #ZZZ_Show_dc38a6e9-266e-43c1-b647-45e7445fad27, #v1.16

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.