NavList:
A Community Devoted to the Preservation and Practice of Celestial Navigation and Other Methods of Traditional Wayfinding
Re: Artificial Horizon, was: Working lunars from calculated altitudes.
From: Rodney Myrvaagnes
Date: 2002 Mar 31, 07:47 -0500
From: Rodney Myrvaagnes
Date: 2002 Mar 31, 07:47 -0500
You could trade the problems of mercury for adifferent set of challenges by using NaK, the eutectic alloy of sodium and pottassium, which is liqud at room tempereature. It is highly reactive and must be kept from the atmosphere, so you horizon would have to have an optically flat sealed roof with an inert atmosphere inside.
If you accidentally broke it, you would cause no longterm environmental damage. In the short run, the extremely rapid production of salts might get you a bad burn, and/or damage something else nearby.
I wouldn't try this at home myself, but if you work in a lab equipped to handle such materials you could think about it.
Ha anyone tried making a prismatic horizon that dangles like a damped pendulum?
On Sat, 30 Mar 2002 21:58:57 EST, WSMurdoch@AOL.COM wrote:
--Original Message Text---
Before you get the mercury, figure out how you will eventually get rid of it. you might just throw it in the trash, proper disposal of mercury is not cheap. your local hazardous waste disposal company a call.
Bill Murdoch
Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a
"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."
"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" -- W. C Fields
If you accidentally broke it, you would cause no longterm environmental damage. In the short run, the extremely rapid production of salts might get you a bad burn, and/or damage something else nearby.
I wouldn't try this at home myself, but if you work in a lab equipped to handle such materials you could think about it.
Ha anyone tried making a prismatic horizon that dangles like a damped pendulum?
On Sat, 30 Mar 2002 21:58:57 EST, WSMurdoch@AOL.COM wrote:
--Original Message Text---
Before you get the mercury, figure out how you will eventually get rid of it. you might just throw it in the trash, proper disposal of mercury is not cheap. your local hazardous waste disposal company a call.
Bill Murdoch
"Religious wisdom is to wisdom as military music is to music."
"What contemptible scoundrel stole the cork from my lunch?" -- W. C Fields