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

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.

--
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"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.)

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.

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"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.

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.

--
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"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.

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.

--
This message is brought to you by Androcles
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"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.

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