I think the article is talking about the Earth-Moon L5, looking at the distances referenced.
The picture still works if you substitute the Sun with the Earth and the Earth with the Moon.
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ah, I see. I saw only the image, too lazy to RTFA : )
Home, home on LaGrange,
Where the deer and the antelope float,
And the cosmic rays,
Will shorten your days,
A spaceship is not like a boat
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It was the âfrozen cloudsâ bit that really pissed me off. Yes, Hollywood, there is a phenomenon where clouds freeze and solidify. ITâS CALLED SNOW. Gaaahhhh.
Yeah, BB never covers anything that guy does!
Incidentally, OâNeill also had an idea for magnetic-propulsion trains running in evacuated tunnels, as well as a working proof-of-concept model.
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orbits the sun, not earth
hmmm⌠first, no, the Moon is dominated by Earth gravity, as are itâs 5 L-points (eg Universe Today) and so orbits the Earth, not the Sun.
Second, the image I used shows the Earth-Sun L-points, true, sorry, but the general idea applies to Earth-Moon, Jupiter-Sun, etc. Just replace the Sun with the Earth and Earth with Moon and the L-points take the same relative positions.
Third, if the Moon were located at the Sun-Earth L2 position then you could say it orbited the Sun.
My general original point, per the choice of article wording, was that Lagrange points donât just hang there, they move in orbit within the system around itâs center of gravity. Here is a nice video.
see somewhere above - I only saw your image and never RTFA. sorry for the confusion.
We still need a cheap way to get off the planetâŚ
Hydrogen balloon for lift, add O2 for a small rocket engine at the apex, solar sail using empty balloon shell.
We can get to the âedgeâ of space using helium, letâs boost it a bit with hydrogen (if it doesnât explode, of course)
Pshaw. 5 meters of asteroidal rubble would provide radiation protection equal to Earthâs atmosphere.
What did you think people would mine the asteroids for? (-:
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Itâs a critical chore,
But my jobâs such a bore,
Hauling ore from the far asteroids.
I was hoping to score
With that chick from L4,
But she tells me sheâs more into droids.
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There are dangers to that:
A handsome young Cyborg named Ace,
Wooed women at every base,
But once ladies glanced at
His special enhancement
They vanished with nary a trace.
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Why do people think this? have they never read an article on gamma rays?
(which is the top danger in space, followed closely faulty equipment)
Or even gone to a decent science museum, with a real live gamma ray detector? Because they still get here, still set off flashes on the panels feet away from spectators.
What do you think gamma rays are? Alpha particles or flying puppies? They are stopped by nothing. Not even gold or lead.
OMGâŚhave you ever read an article on gamma rays? What do you think they are?
Gamma rays are high-energy waves that can travel at the speed of light and penetrate many substances, including metal. Gamma rays are used to treat cancer and to produce diagnostic images. A few inches of lead is enough to block gamma rays â which is why you wear a lead apron when you get x-rays â but at least 3 meters of concrete are needed to stop them. Again, the precise measurement depends on the dosage of radiation, and a Geiger counter is needed to gauge the exact radiation amount and thickness of materials needed to stop it.
Gamma rays are a type of photon. Have you noticed how visible light doesnât pass through opaque substances? And UV doesnât pass through glass? have you noticed how radio waves will pass through stuff thatâs much smaller or larger than their wavelength, but get stopped by metal stuff that is about the same size as their wavelength?
Yes, EM radiation is the kind of stuff that can be stopped by putting stuff between the source and the target, JUST LIKE ALPHA RADIATION.
This shit ainât magic.
This link was the top result for the google query âstopping gamma raysâ. This was trivial to find out without making an ass of yourself by excoriating others for being more factually correct than you are.
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Youâre thinking of tachyons.
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Could also be thinking of neutrinos â they interact but so weakly that as a first approximation it might be OK to say they canât even be stopped by lead or gold.
But the whole notion that thereâs some kind of particle/wave that on the one hand will pass right through a 30â-thick wall of lead without interacting with anything but is still a deadly threat to a 1â-thick column of water confuses the hell out of me.
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Dort. Right. I should not be posting when this exhausted. I was thinking of neutrinos in particular.
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