very large telescopes and Uranus/Neptune Options

[rboerner]

Since there are no planned new missions to Uranus and Neptune, I was wondering whether we can expect Voyager-2 like images of the ice giants and especially their satellites from the 30 meter - class telescopes in the 2020s.

If my math is correct, then E-ELT, operating at the diffraction limit in visible wavelengths, would resolve ~50km at closest Uranus distance, and ~100km at closest Neptune.

Furthermore, by using super-resolution techniques (combining several subpixel-shifted exposures into one higher resolution one, similar to what was done with Pluto HST pictures), these resolutions could perhaps be improved by a factor 3.

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/index.p...st&p=219181

~16km at Uranus and ~33km at Neptune is worse than the best Voyager 2 data, but it should be sufficient to see geology [on the satellites].

In any event, since Voyager 2 encountered Uranus during its southern summer, and it will be northern summer in 2028, we would not be re-imaging the already known southern hemispheres of the Uranian satellites, but the currently unknown northern hemispheres.

I also get that E-ELT could get ~20 pixels across the disk of Eris using a factor 3 super-resolution enhancement.

Is my basic thinking here valid? I'd especially be interested to hear from someone who understands more of the math of super-resolution and its limits. Could factors much greater than 3 be achieved?