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Old January 10th 05, 02:20 PM
EvolBob
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For example the Andromeda galaxy is 2 million light years (LY), and a quasar
is about 8,000 million LY's distant, yet a star map to get to these and
other places in the Universe has to show where they are now. The simplest
way around this quandary could be to have faster than light drives that act
as time machines that displaced the same light year distance per year in
time traveled backwards.

Then again you still need a external real time anchor otherwise if you used
'Earth' time, the resultant map would only be of use for those going to and
from Earth.

For a trick way out just don't explain it: Use instead the discoveries of an
another advanced technology that can allow your characters to do whatever
they need to do in this circumstance.

Getting lost in space is real easy, which is probably why we don't have
little green men running around here at the mo'.


Regards
Robert

"E. Telly Kelly" wrote in message
...
Hi, all.

I'm writing a story where, for a tthrowaway bit, a character gives a
coordinate position for the Sol system. My thought was to try to come
up with some sort of external coordinate system where a point from the
geometrical center of the milky way to the same point in the Andromeda
Galaxy (as the nearest large object) would be the zero degree line and
distance outward and north/south deviation from that center point would
complete the description. I've tried, but can't find anything that
would help me do this. (Obviously, since the Andromeda galaxy isn't in
the plane of the equator of the Milky Way, I'm assuming that the zero
degree line is the intersection of the plane of the Milky Way's
equator with the plane that has both galaxies' centers as points in
it.)

I can find the Andromeda Galaxy's direction from Earth, but can't find
anything that will tell me (a non-astronomer/non-mathematician) how the
three points (Earth and galactic centers) stand in relation to each
other.

Can anyone point me in the right direction to find this out? I realize
that this is, as said earlier, just going to be used in one line in the
story, but I'd really like to be able to make it *sound* believable.

I will be grateful for any assistance.