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No, the sensors aren't magical. We don't have single photon detectors, so you can't buffer the arrival of each individual photon and its source and then throw away the ones you don't want.Electronic sensors can be thought of as an array of tiny buckets which have to be emptied to be read and which will only register as having something in them after a certain threshold is exceeded (say the bottom is covered) So buffering just keeps reseting all the buckets to zero. Really dim objects generate tiny amounts of input and so may not cover the bottom of the bucket for hours. Naturally, someone going past with a firehose during that hour will likely completely screw up the detection of those dim objects (or the tiny variations in brightness which provide details of structure etc).
No, the sensors aren't magical. We don't have single photon detectors, so you can't buffer the arrival of each individual photon and its source and then throw away the ones you don't want.
Electronic sensors can be thought of as an array of tiny buckets which have to be emptied to be read and which will only register as having something in them after a certain threshold is exceeded (say the bottom is covered) So buffering just keeps reseting all the buckets to zero. Really dim objects generate tiny amounts of input and so may not cover the bottom of the bucket for hours. Naturally, someone going past with a firehose during that hour will likely completely screw up the detection of those dim objects (or the tiny variations in brightness which provide details of structure etc).
