The Apu-Punchau Eclipse

Jeff Wilson · 10 Jun 2008, 15:00 · from 2008-June.txt.gz

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From: jwilson at io.com (Jeff Wilson)
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2008 10:00:01 -0500
Subject: (urth) The Apu-Punchau Eclipse
In-Reply-To: <cf4.2e47ed06.357fd706 at aol.com>
References: <cf4.2e47ed06.357fd706 at aol.com>
Message-ID: <484E96F1.1010805 at io.com>

StoneOx17 at aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 6/10/2008 7:43:28 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
> davetallman at msn.com writes:
> 
> "I have another possible explanation for  the eclipse. The exact 
> dimensions of the Ship aren't given, but could it  really be large enough 
> to shadow the Sun and let the stars be seen like  that? It would have to 
> be almost as big as the moon. Why couldn't the  eclipse be a normal one, 
> caused by the moon?"
>  
> If the ship were a lot close than the moon, it could be a lot smaller and 
> shadow the sun.  If it were 3000 times closer (low earth orbit), it  could
> be 3000 times smaller, or only around a mile in diameter.

That would make it only about 80 miles up, a rapidly decaying orbit to 
be sure. It would have to have some form of lift to let it hover in 
place anyway, because at orbital speeds the eclipse would only last a 
second or less.

-- 
Jeff Wilson - jwilson at io.com
< http://www.io.com/~jwilson >

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