#1
|
|||
|
|||
Laser lunacy
It seems that some folks are using green lasers for more than outlining
constellations: http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/1309846.html http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041230/ap/d879nei00.html Let's hope the words "amateur astronomer" don't pop up in any of these stories. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
On Wed, 29 Dec 2004 21:52:52 -0700, Tim Killian
wrote: It seems that some folks are using green lasers for more than outlining constellations: http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/1309846.html http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041230/ap/d879nei00.html Let's hope the words "amateur astronomer" don't pop up in any of these stories. I think anyone using a laser in this way should have a nice five-year jail term, but is it possible to do what the second article said? I guess the plane would have to be a distance away from the laser'r in order for the beam to have entered the cockpit? Another thing; Wouldn't the laser have to be mounted on some kind of stable tracking device? The deviation due to body shake (from someone holding it) from the distance claimed means that it would be about impossible to hold it on target with any kind of timeframe on the order of "seconds." -Rich FBI Probes Laser Beam Directed at Cockpit Authorities are investigating a mysterious laser beam that was directed into the cockpit of a commercial jet traveling at more than 8,500 feet. The beam appeared Monday when the plane was about 15 miles from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, the FBI said. "It was in there for several seconds like (the plane) was being tracked," FBI agent Robert Hawk said. |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=370312
If this keeps up, we will lose our right to use our lasers as educational tools. Too bad. I have never shined my laser at aircraft, having read the warnings against doing so. Matthew Ota Tim Killian wrote: It seems that some folks are using green lasers for more than outlining constellations: http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/1309846.html http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041230/ap/d879nei00.html Let's hope the words "amateur astronomer" don't pop up in any of these stories. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
They are becoming the prefered toyof cell phone users (in cars)also!
Tim Killian wrote: It seems that some folks are using green lasers for more than outlining constellations: http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/1309846.html http://asia.news.yahoo.com/041230/ap/d879nei00.html Let's hope the words "amateur astronomer" don't pop up in any of these stories. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 01:23:42 -0500, RichA wrote:
I think anyone using a laser in this way should have a nice five-year jail term, but is it possible to do what the second article said? I guess the plane would have to be a distance away from the laser'r in order for the beam to have entered the cockpit? Another thing; Wouldn't the laser have to be mounted on some kind of stable tracking device? The deviation due to body shake (from someone holding it) from the distance claimed means that it would be about impossible to hold it on target with any kind of timeframe on the order of "seconds." -Rich This is something that is impossible to do with a typical class 3b laser pointer. As you note, there is no way to hold one still enough from several thousand feet away, and it wouldn't be bright at that distance. A searchlight hitting a plane would be brighter and more distracting (something that happens regularly). Supposedly, this happened again shortly after in Colorado Springs. Frankly, I'm suspicious that there is an element of hysteria in all this. Lately the Department of Homeland Security has been running around warning that terrorists with lasers are a threat to airplanes, and suddenly you have three reports of bright green lights, from different locations, with no physical evidence at all? Hmmm.... _________________________________________________ Chris L Peterson Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Chris L Peterson wrote in message ... On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 01:23:42 -0500, RichA wrote: I think anyone using a laser in this way should have a nice five-year jail term, but is it possible to do what the second article said? I guess the plane would have to be a distance away from the laser'r in order for the beam to have entered the cockpit? Another thing; Wouldn't the laser have to be mounted on some kind of stable tracking device? The deviation due to body shake (from someone holding it) from the distance claimed means that it would be about impossible to hold it on target with any kind of timeframe on the order of "seconds." -Rich This is something that is impossible to do with a typical class 3b laser pointer. As you note, there is no way to hold one still enough from several thousand feet away, and it wouldn't be bright at that distance. A searchlight hitting a plane would be brighter and more distracting (something that happens regularly). Supposedly, this happened again shortly after in Colorado Springs. Frankly, I'm suspicious that there is an element of hysteria in all this. Lately the Department of Homeland Security has been running around warning that terrorists with lasers are a threat to airplanes, and suddenly you have three reports of bright green lights, from different locations, with no physical evidence at all? Hmmm.... _______________________________________________ __ Chris L Peterson Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com no, there are other possible explanations beside mass hysteria: 1- alien invaders from Outer Space 2- someone with a very steady hand, nanoactuator implants, and a good infrared target acquisition and tracking implant too 3- a star party below, all attendants using the newest Chinese lasers with adjustable negative beam divergence to allow the beam to still be a small spot thousands of feet away from the lasers . 4- a star party below , where everybody was trying to follow the airplane with their goto mounts and laser pointers thinking it was the ISS due to some software glitch. 5- none of the above Seriously now, how did this legend and paranoia get started , that a low power laser beam with known large beam divergence would be able to illuminate in any significant way a distant moving target, without having tracking capability ? Even a half Watt laser with the kind of divergence these small pointers have would not pose any risk thousands of feet away for anybody's vision . best regards, matt tudor 4- |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Correction:
A Laser pointer 5mw is "Class-3A". A laser with a power output 5mw is "Class-3B". Note that these Class-3B devices are "lasers" and not "laser pointers". -Mij "Chris L Peterson" wrote in message ... On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 01:23:42 -0500, RichA wrote: I think anyone using a laser in this way should have a nice five-year jail term, but is it possible to do what the second article said? I guess the plane would have to be a distance away from the laser'r in order for the beam to have entered the cockpit? Another thing; Wouldn't the laser have to be mounted on some kind of stable tracking device? The deviation due to body shake (from someone holding it) from the distance claimed means that it would be about impossible to hold it on target with any kind of timeframe on the order of "seconds." -Rich This is something that is impossible to do with a typical class 3b laser pointer. As you note, there is no way to hold one still enough from several thousand feet away, and it wouldn't be bright at that distance. A searchlight hitting a plane would be brighter and more distracting (something that happens regularly). Supposedly, this happened again shortly after in Colorado Springs. Frankly, I'm suspicious that there is an element of hysteria in all this. Lately the Department of Homeland Security has been running around warning that terrorists with lasers are a threat to airplanes, and suddenly you have three reports of bright green lights, from different locations, with no physical evidence at all? Hmmm.... _________________________________________________ Chris L Peterson Cloudbait Observatory http://www.cloudbait.com |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Someone with a laser collimator (are there green models?) could use
their scope as a "light cannon" where the optics broaden the beam and reduce divergence. An 8 inch aperture could easily illuminate an aircraft cockpit several miles away at night. That's why I'm concerned this might end up in the lap of the amateur community, as in "Look what those crazy astronomers are doing!" Pilots flying at night are very paranoid -- any unexpected bright light that appears to be headed their way will really **** them off. matt wrote: Seriously now, how did this legend and paranoia get started , that a low power laser beam with known large beam divergence would be able to illuminate in any significant way a distant moving target, without having tracking capability ? Even a half Watt laser with the kind of divergence these small pointers have would not pose any risk thousands of feet away for anybody's vision . best regards, matt tudor 4- |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
In article , Chris L Peterson wrote:
On Thu, 30 Dec 2004 01:23:42 -0500, RichA wrote: [...re reports of lasers shining into airplane cockpits...] Supposedly, this happened again shortly after in Colorado Springs. Frankly, I'm suspicious that there is an element of hysteria in all this. Lately the Department of Homeland Security has been running around warning that terrorists with lasers are a threat to airplanes, and suddenly you have three reports of bright green lights, from different locations, with no physical evidence at all? Hmmm.... Though I'm as suspicious as anyone of our administration's "The only thing we have is fear" policies, these reports of lasers shining into airplanes don't seem suspicious to me, unfortunately. I bet they're from the same pattern as copycat crimes: a few people, hearing DHS warnings about lasers endangering airplanes, think that's a pretty cool idea and decide to see if they can do it themselves. It might not even be that hard, given a laser strapped to a spotting scope on a decent tripod. We can only hope that the population of such hobbyists remains small. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Wouldn't it be just as annoying to a pilot to shine sunlight at him
with a small mirror? Mirrors have existed for far longer than lasers and aeroplanes. No doubt huge areas of grower's glasshouses put a huge amount of sunlight upwards towards 'planes. It would be no surprise at all if these existed near airfields. Laser pointers are now available for small change in builder's levels. Though the beam spread on my own is unlikely to be worth consideration of its use beyond two hundred metres as a potential weapon against aircraft pilots. Chris.B |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Laser for adaptive optics sees (gives?) first light on the 200-inch | Mike Simmons | Amateur Astronomy | 11 | November 14th 04 03:38 AM |
Laser Points to the Future at Palomar | Ron | Misc | 0 | November 5th 04 09:31 PM |
Laser Points to the Future at Palomar | Ron | Astronomy Misc | 0 | November 5th 04 09:31 PM |
laser energy dissipatation rate | Skywise | Astronomy Misc | 4 | June 13th 04 01:35 PM |
Our future as a species - Fermi Paradox revisted - Where they all are | william mook | Policy | 157 | November 19th 03 12:19 AM |