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superhero space navigation
On 7 apr, 18:44, Andrew Plotkin wrote:
Here, Bryan Derksen wrote: Andrew Plotkin wrote: You mentioned a cluttered sky, but remember that it's cluttered because everything is brighter. Planets are brighter too. If you're inside Earth's orbit, the brightest things visible (after the Sun) will be Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and maybe Mercury. The Sun's position against the stars (plus your printout) will tell you immediately which of those planets might be behind the Sun (or lost in its glare). You'll probably be able to distinguish which planet is which by their appearance, especially if you've got a modest telescope. Mars is the reddish one, Venus is the brightest one, Jupiter is the one with four moons, Earth is the bluish one with one moon, and Mercury is whatever's left over near to the sun. I've never been able to see planetary colors naked-eye (even for Mars), so I distrust this. I realize it'll be a lot easier above the atmosphere, and more so with binoculars. As for brightnesses, that does depend somewhat on distance -- Earth close up might be as bright as Venus farther out. And the Moon might not be visibly different from a star; it's smaller and lower-albedo than the Earth. Not saying those aren't helpful. I just want to make sure I can get around without those clues. Yes, but the Moon is just 4 magnitudes dimmer than Earth Unlike the satellites of Jupiter or of Mars. If a planet suspected for Earth is in view, just check for another star which is about 4 magnitudes dimmer and also does not belong in the constellation |
#2
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superhero space navigation
I was just noodling around on Wikipedia and came across this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_skies It describes what the skies look like on various planets and moons in the solar system, including what the planets and moons look like from each other. Just the sort of information a person flying around the solar system by dead reckoning might need. Could also prove handy if you're writing any scenes where the character is visiting the surface of any of these planets. |
#3
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superhero space navigation
-- This message is brought to you by Androcles http://www.androcles01.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ "Bryan Derksen" wrote in message news:Y4fLj.167977$pM4.123505@pd7urf1no... |I was just noodling around on Wikipedia and came across this article: | | http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extraterrestrial_skies | | It describes what the skies look like on various planets and moons in | the solar system, including what the planets and moons look like from | each other. Just the sort of information a person flying around the | solar system by dead reckoning might need. Flying around the solar system by dead-reckoning is about as useful as tits on a bull. | Could also prove handy if you're writing any scenes where the character | is visiting the surface of any of these planets. Ah, now, fiction is often inaccurate and any correction can only be an improvement. "The Harrier's twin engines screamed" made me want to puke, it only has one. Same with the satellite that was stationary over the North Pole, another impossibility. A good yarn doesn't need such fantasies, they detract from rather than enhance the story and mislead the youngster reading them. (I sometimes proof-read, in case you are wondering.) |
#4
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superhero space navigation
Androcles wrote:
Flying around the solar system by dead-reckoning is about as useful as tits on a bull. If you can pull 10G forever it's fine, just spot the planet you want to go to and fly that way. You'll probably want a watch so you can time when to switch from acceleration to deceleration, though. Ah, now, fiction is often inaccurate and any correction can only be an improvement. "The Harrier's twin engines screamed" made me want to puke, it only has one. Same with the satellite that was stationary over the North Pole, another impossibility. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statite Though this is a bit of an unusual case and takes a bit of work to make happen, so probably whatever work of fiction you're referring to here was still wrong. |
#5
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superhero space navigation
-- This message is brought to you by Androcles http://www.androcles01.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ "Bryan Derksen" wrote in message news:9YfLj.168032$pM4.77173@pd7urf1no... | Androcles wrote: | Flying around the solar system by dead-reckoning is about as useful | as tits on a bull. | | If you can pull 10G forever 'nuff said. |
#6
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superhero space navigation
Androcles wrote:
"Bryan Derksen" wrote in message news:9YfLj.168032$pM4.77173@pd7urf1no... | Androcles wrote: | Flying around the solar system by dead-reckoning is about as useful | as tits on a bull. | | If you can pull 10G forever 'nuff said. Which is what the character in question is capable of doing so I don't see the problem here. Given that the protagonist is capable of flying like that navigating by dead reckoning is indeed useful. By the way, there's something wrong with the configuration of your newsreader; it's putting your replies after your sig, which means everything gets automatically trimmed away when I hit "reply". Makes it troublesome to quote, you might want to poke around with that. |
#7
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superhero space navigation
-- This message is brought to you by Androcles http://www.androcles01.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ "Bryan Derksen" wrote in message news:t3lLj.168689$pM4.113635@pd7urf1no... | Androcles wrote: | "Bryan Derksen" wrote in message | news:9YfLj.168032$pM4.77173@pd7urf1no... | | Androcles wrote: | | Flying around the solar system by dead-reckoning is about as useful | | as tits on a bull. | | | | If you can pull 10G forever | | 'nuff said. | | Which is what the character in question is capable of Hint: You'd black out after couple of minutes at 7G and so would I. http://tinyurl.com/56uq8l Your character is Superman/Batman/Spiderman, definitely a comic character. Repeat: 'nuff said. |
#8
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superhero space navigation
Androcles wrote:
Hint: You'd black out after couple of minutes at 7G and so would I. http://tinyurl.com/56uq8l Your character is Superman/Batman/Spiderman, definitely a comic character. Repeat: 'nuff said. Hint: one of the newsgroups this thread is posted to is rec.arts.sf.science. The "sf" stands for Science Fiction (or alternately Speculative Fiction), which means that characters who can endure 10G indefinitely are quite acceptable and commonplace in proposed scenarios such as this one. Works of fiction are allowed to contain things that aren't real. |
#9
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superhero space navigation
-- This message is brought to you by Androcles http://www.androcles01.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ "Bryan Derksen" wrote in message news:N0tLj.39840$rd2.28943@pd7urf3no... | Androcles wrote: | | Hint: You'd black out after couple of minutes at 7G and so would I. | http://tinyurl.com/56uq8l | | Your character is Superman/Batman/Spiderman, definitely a comic character. | Repeat: 'nuff said. | | Hint: one of the newsgroups this thread is posted to is | rec.arts.sf.science. The other is sci.astro for which the impossibilities you suggest are off topic and should not have been cross posted. I subscribe to science, you subscribe to fantasy; may they never meet. Have a nice day. |
#10
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superhero space navigation
In rec.arts.sf.science Bryan Derksen wrote:
Androcles wrote: Hint: You'd black out after couple of minutes at 7G and so would I. http://tinyurl.com/56uq8l Your character is Superman/Batman/Spiderman, definitely a comic character. Repeat: 'nuff said. Hint: one of the newsgroups this thread is posted to is rec.arts.sf.science. The "sf" stands for Science Fiction (or alternately Speculative Fiction), which means that characters who can endure 10G indefinitely are quite acceptable and commonplace in proposed scenarios such as this one. Works of fiction are allowed to contain things that aren't real. Here's another hint for you: Androcles is completely insane in several ways. He can be amusing to read but it is not worth your time to reply. -- Michael Ash Rogue Amoeba Software |
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