just out of curiosity would a solar sail be able to cross from our own solar system to another? would it be possible to use the light of a destination star past the midway point? what kind of acceleration are we talking about with a solar sail?
2007-04-10 10:53:34 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
The Solar Sail's accelleration is tightly connected to the amount of sunlight that falls on it. Compare, for instance, Mercury's surface temperature (340K) to Neptune's surface temperature (53K) and you'll see there is a dramatic drop in the amount of energy between close to the centre of our solar system and the amount of energy on the outskirts of our solar system. For a Solar Sail to accellerate properly, you'd have to be very close to a star and even then would the acceleration be very low. Theoretically speaking you could position your sail close to the sun and have the sun accellerate it to the edge of the solar system onto the next one. The only problem is, at the speed you'll be going it'll take a very very very very long time to get there.
As to your question, "Would it be possible to use the light of a destination star past the midway point?", the answer is simply no. First of all the star is too far away to provide the sail with a real significant amount of thrust. Second, the solar sail (much like a normal sail) functions by catching photons that hit the sail on the back and give it a bit of thrust. Light hitting it on the front would only push the sail in the opposite direction, that's why the back and the front have a different layer of coating that does or does not absorb a part of the energy inside the photons hitting it. Doing this would be like placing a huge fan on the shore that blows air towards a sailing ship. The result would be the ship getting blown away from the fan rather then pulled towards the fan.
As for acceleration, I'm not really sure. I can recall having read something about it taking 10 years to build up a speed comparable to the speed of contemporary (rocket-powered) space ships.
2007-04-10 21:10:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Once you're out of the solar system, there would be no real power to tap. You'd have to be going at the speed you wanted to go. When you got to your target you'd have to turn around to slow down. Even so it would probably take 10's of thousands of years to get to the closest stars.
2007-04-10 11:03:25 · answer #2 · answered by Gene 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
How long is a piece of string? I don't think there's any such system as yet. Its still only a theory, even if they had a working model, it would probably take thousands of years to get to the nearest solar system. The very idea has got to be a joke.
2007-04-10 11:09:16 · answer #3 · answered by Hi T 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
because (i imagine) he led the way for the european despoilation of the Americas--the natives died off because of latest ailments & compelled exertions, frequently, and entire tribes (esp in the Caribbean) died out. He became also no longer the first as well the Indians to attain right here; he became only the most proper established for a lengthy time period. Historians are particularly effective the Norse were right here a minimum of. It lessens the outcome particularly. you're proper that he had nerve to sail the option course; after all, the Portuguese had only reached Asia by using crusing round Africa, so as that became a effective course. i'm no longer effective what number of human beings fairly idea the international became flat--i have considered various commentaries on it. knowledgeable human beings, a minimum of, look to have idea in the different case. the different reason is that over the finest 50 years or so, there has been a huge revisionist move in historic previous, the position the lesser-established aspect has been examined and delivered to the fore. at the same time as positively real in numerous situations, it has solid shadows on in the previous astounding matters--like US or British motivations in the time of historic previous, or the magnitude and/or benevolence of Columbus. a number of this would have political impression, in spite of the indisputable fact that that is not any longer overt. i will assert that searching at different sources for the different aspect of an situation will be a sturdy element, even at the same time as it hurts. I study aspects of Columbus' Log in college for an English classification (no longer all written by using the guy himself, btw). the instructor became especially inspired by using Columbus' order to no longer molest the natives when they arrived; being the historic previous significant that i became & forgetting what classification i became in, I reported that he idea he had reached India or China & one does no longer commence off an alliance/commerce settlement by using attacking the different ruler's matters. i became recommended i became a cynic. rather, preserving historic truths in lit training doesn't pay. yet my factor is, that it wasn't only political impulse--he did have some compassion, only no longer in a form that we ought to comprehend immediately. For his circumstances, he wasn't a nasty guy.
2016-11-28 03:29:42 · answer #4 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know details of solar magnification but that's what ya need to change light into electric current which is what solar power is all about.
2007-04-10 11:08:22 · answer #5 · answered by robert j 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I am just answering to check what others are saying ... good luck.
2007-04-10 13:57:27 · answer #6 · answered by mrbones 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋