Re: [FH] FTL, astronomy

"laserlight@quixnet.net" wrote:
> 
> John Leary wandered off topic:
> Navigation well most likey be done by using at least
> three known pulsars to determine location in space.
> Kind of like looking at 'lighthouses' in the stars.
> 
> No pulsars close by, are there?  I'd like we'd use nearby bright stars
eg Sirius--the closer they are, the easier it is to judge your exact
position.
> (If you're trying to get the right driveway, you might estimate from
the end of the block--not from the Eiffel Tower, as even though it
stands out well, it's a bit too far away).

Nice analogy, but for space navigation, doesn't quite work. Star
brightness is irrelevant to distance, so if you pop into an unknown
area of space, it won't work at all trying to figure out whether that
bright star you see is nearby and not.	Pulsars much better option.
They are far enough away that they are unlikely to move too much wrt
the rest of the stuff around you. That or other unique objects that
are easily identifiable from different angles. Three is good. More is
better. :-)