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- Newsgroups: sci.astro
- Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-cv!hp-pcd!hpcvaac!billn
- From: billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson)
- Subject: Re: Averting doom
- Message-ID: <1992Dec27.204800.29057@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com>
- Organization: Hewlett-Packard Company, Corvallis, Oregon USA
- References: <1hkl3uINNrq8@transfer.stratus.com>
- Date: Sun, 27 Dec 1992 20:48:00 GMT
- Lines: 26
-
- det@bigbootay.sw.stratus.com (David Toland) writes:
- : In article <1992Dec27.070033.18932@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com> billn@hpcvaac.cv.hp.com (bill nelson) writes:
- : >Also, to move the Earth into a higher orbit, you would not speed the
- : >Earth up - you would slow it down. The Earth orbits the sun about
- : >3 miles/second faster than Mars does.
- :
- : A little knowledge.....
- :
- : Although the velocity of Mars along its orbital path *is* lower, its
- : angular momentum is higher. You would indeed need to *increase* the
- : Earth's velocity in its present orbit, which would paradoxically result
- : in it attaining a greater distance from the Sun with a *lower*
- : orbital speed. The increase in speed would need to be applied over
- : a multiple of 1 revolution if you want the final orbit to also remain
- : nearly circular.
-
- Yes - I am aware of this. I was just not thinking, at the time I made
- the posting. Shows what happens when a person posts, at a time which is
- long past their bed-time.
-
- : By the way, Niven's enginering, although not perfect, stands up better
- : than that of *most* SF writers...
-
- Agreed. I enjoy his writing.
-
- Bill
-