Ineluki Seyt-Hamakha [email removed] (Andrew Akins)
writes...
TA::> I was wondering if anyone out there had seen, or developed,
::>rules and/or suggestions for dealing with unusual stellar
::>objects.
::> By unusual stellar objects I mean things like comets, oort
::>clouds, nebulae, pulsars, neutron stars, and yes, even black
::>holes.
Comets, and Oort Clouds, where they reside, might be good
candidates for fuel caches, provided you're equipped to mine
them. In fact, as I recall, in the Arrival Vengeance campaign,
Strephon gives the AV the location of a fuel cache that is just
that - a cold comet. Using this cache, the AV was able to go
directly from Usdiki back to the Domain, without having to go
through the Ziru Sirkaa or Vargr-occupied Corridor.
Pulsars would almost certainly be used as navigational beacons.
I seem to recall that pulsar characteristics are almost as
individualized as those of Cepheid variable stars, and by
locating and identifying three pulsars, you could pinpoint your
location adequately for most interstellar travelling purposes.
I can't envision a use for either neutron stars or nebulae, but
they can certainly be used as navigational hazards. Nebulae
might be so diffuse, though, as to be of sightseeing interest
only, if that. Much like the Aurorae on Earth. Black holes are
either subjects of scientific study, or navigation hazards. Very
severe ones.
::> I am interested in a realistic approach to these objects...like
::>what would the affect of a nebulae be to starship sensors (would
::>it be like in Star Trek II....would it have no effect...), could
::>a neutron star have a planetary system (and would it give off
::>enough heat to support life in such a system), and how close
::>can you get to a black hole before you're screwed?
I would say that if you're rash enough to come close enough to a
black hole that you have to worry about this, you deserve
whatever happens. As far as I'm concerned, you're dead when the
acceleration due to the black hole's gravity exceeds the maximum
thrust your ship can put out. Of course, if you have a head for
figures, or don't mind yanking out the physics books and playing
techweenie, you can always play games with high-speed (meaning
high-momentum) hyperbolic orbits and the like. I know that there
are formulae for the "diameter" of a black hole, based on the
mass. What this really is, is the diameter of a normal sphere
whose surface is coincident with the event horizon of the black
hole. If you cross that, you're dead. Even a slingshot orbit
can't save you.
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Jeff Zeitlin [email removed]
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~ QMPro 1.51 ~ Reality is only that part of imagination we all agree on