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Solar sails - impossible?
"Mike Speegle" wrote in message ... In news:jjustwwondering typed: "Mike Speegle" wrote in message ... In news:jjustwwondering typed: A comet tail is a solar sail... Actually a wake as the tail has no effect on the comet head. Nothing like a wake: the tail does not spread in the direction opposite to the comet's movement - but in the direction opposite to the sun - i.e., the direction in which it is pushed by solar radiation. That was the context is was using wake, "downstream" of the solar pressure and not related to the path of the comet head. The comet head is not significantly affected, but that is beside the point: comparing the tail to a sail does not entail comparing the head to a spacecraft. Okay, then I misunderstood your short statement and what you meant. ;-) -- Mike Maybe a better analogy is a ribbon blowing in the wind, independent on the motion of the head.... -- (All advice is checked, re-checked and verified to be questionable....) |
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