Do starships sensors have definate range, or is depended upon the object. For instance, would sensor's range be X distance around the ship, or would it vary based on the size and other characteristics of the target (IE: Energy output, radiation, etc etc)?
Posted by Mighty Blogger Snay (Member # 411) on :
Possibly, unless not.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
Actually, we can make bolder statements than that. (And at times they can even be well-founded statements.)
It's standard practice in TNG that our lesser heroes declare "Something at extreme range, sir!" after which Picard commands "On screen..." and we get to see a fuzzy blob. Picard then says "Magnify!" and lo and behond, the image sharpens to show the minutest detail of the target.
This to me seems to indicate that the sensors are quite capable of resolving objects as small as the window of a starship at range X, but cannot be alerted to the presence of a target that small at range X unless it's attached to a larger object - say, a starship.
Thus, I'd say that inert objects are indeed first observed at distances that depend on their size (and perhaps albedo and color). And non-inert objects (say, ships at warp or operating shields or weapons) no doubt are observed at a distance proportional to the intensity of their activity: even a cruiser-sized formation of shuttles at low warp may be more difficult to see than a single cruiser at high warp. Of course, such things are highly complicated even in the real world, and subject to local conditions and stuff.
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Bones McCoy (Member # 1480) on :
I think it depends on the ship. In 'Trials and Tribble-ations', we see a nice schematic of the Connie-class Enterprise's sensors, and apparently they're strongest towards the front. Don't know much about range, though... I think THAT depends on another scientific phenomenon: "Writer's convenience"
As to the type of target, we often see ships powering down to avoid detection, so it's plausible that any sort of energy output is more easily detectable than ships' component materials, for example.