Interstellar GPS anyone?

[sojourner]

This is pretty cool, I am guessing it will end up in a Star Trek somewhere. Probably technobabble in one of the books.
http://gizmodo.com/5271710/how-do-you-avoid-hitting-stars-at-warp-5-a-pulsar-positioning-system

 

[Delta1]

Or in the second episode of Enterprise.

 

[Maurice]

There's a Pulsar Co-Ord readout on the TMP helm console. This is old news.

 

[JustAFriend]

The Pioneer probes that are racing out of the solar system (at a leisurely 30,000mph)
carried a plaque with a map to find Earth using pulsars.

....wow, that was only almost 40 years ago.....

 

[sojourner]

Well, to be honest, it's not that they are using Pulsars, but how they are using them. Like the GPS system, this uses the radio waves emitted by the pulsars to more accurately determine location than just using sight lines.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Wouldn't you just use an Astro-inertial navigation system? It locks onto the position of key stars and can be used to determine one's orientation in space.

It was used on the A-12/YF-12/SR-71 aircraft, and had the XB-70 entered service, it would have featured this device as well...

 

[Brent]

You know how big the friggin download would be for the maps for Space on the GPS system, geez

 

[All Seeing Eye]

http://gizmodo.com/5271710/how-do-you-avoid-hitting-stars-at-warp-5-a-pulsar-positioning-system

This is like somebody going on TV in 2009 claiming to have just invented the wheel.

 

[Bear23]

Now we just need interstellar travel.....

 

[sojourner]

Wouldn't you just use an Astro-inertial navigation system? It locks onto the position of key stars and can be used to determine one's orientation in space.

It was used on the A-12/YF-12/SR-71 aircraft, and had the XB-70 entered service, it would have featured this device as well...

This only works with identifiable constellations. It would probably work to a degree within 10 light years of earth/sol, but farther out of that, no way to determine which star is which. Hence the use of Pulsars with their unique radio signatures.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Sojourner,

Well, we know where various stars in our galaxy are located and how far they are from us and their position relative to us. For example, Rigel is 900 LY from earth...

 

[sojourner]

Yes, we do, but does Rigel emit a distinct radio pulse that is easier to identify from all the other stars of that magnitude? Pulsars are much rarer than other star types which is what makes them easier to single out. It's sort of like trying to base your location in a pine forest by knowing what the pine trees nearest you look like as opposed to basing it on the few oak trees scattered in among the forest. You might be able to do it, but the oak trees would be much more unique and therefore easier to use.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Sojourner,

I was not necessarily opposing the use of using pulsars to navigate, I was just saying that you could navigate by stars in space

 

[sojourner]

Agreed.

 

[Samurai8472]

Turn left at Vulcan then come about 1/4 impulse to the nearest space station

 

[Roshi]

Vulcan? There's no such planet around here...