* Atmospheric Scattering: The Earth's atmosphere scatters light, especially at shorter wavelengths like green light. This means the laser beam would be significantly dispersed and weakened before reaching the vacuum of space.
* Power Limitations: Even the most powerful green lasers available are not powerful enough to overcome the scattering effects of the atmosphere and be visible from space. The energy required to produce a beam that could be seen from orbit would be enormous and impractical.
* Distance: The distance between Earth's surface and space is vast. The green laser light would spread out over this immense distance, making it incredibly faint by the time it reached orbit.
What Can Be Seen From Space:
* Large-scale Features: From space, we can see large geographical features like mountains, rivers, and oceans.
* Artificial Lights: Large cities and other brightly lit areas can be observed from orbit.
* Specific Events: Some events like large wildfires or volcanic eruptions produce enough light and smoke to be visible from space.
Important Note: It's crucial to understand that shining a laser at an aircraft or spacecraft is extremely dangerous and illegal. The light from a laser can cause serious eye damage to pilots and astronauts, and it can interfere with aircraft navigation systems.
