[thedoc (OP)]

Gray asked the Naked Scientists:
   If telescope's like the Hubble telescope can see so far out into space, how come we can't make a telescope to look for the object's left by the lunar mission's on the moon!

Thanks Naked Scientists, love the show.

What do you think?

[syhprum]

No its much to far away I think the pixel size at the moon is several KM but satellites actually orbiting the moon can show moon buggy tracks.

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LRO/news/apollo-sites.html
 

[Ophiolite]

From the Sky and Telescope website, this more detailed answer comes from Bob King. (The full article is here: http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/celestial-objects-to-watch/moon/how-to-see-all-six-apollo-moon-landing-sites/ )

"Hubble's 94.5-inch mirror has a resolution of 0.024″ in ultraviolet light, which translates to 141 feet (43 meters) at the Moon's distance. In visible light, it's 0.05″, or closer to 300 feet. Given that the largest piece of equipment left on the Moon after each mission was the 17.9-foot-high by 14-foot-wide Lunar Module, you can see the problem."

Although, it occurs to me that shortly after sunrise, or before sunset, the lander shadow might well be detectable.