From: Ross A. Finlayson (raf@tiki-lounge.com)
Date: Mon Nov 27 2000 - 17:09:35 MST
In the science fiction books that I have seen, there are items about big
things in space. Niven wrote about a Ringworld, there is Dyson Sphere
which is shell around the sun, etc. What I am wondering about are
constructs around a planetary solar satellite. For example, if a 3 inch
reflective layer around Mercury was made from solar cells, it could
generate lots of power. Or, if a shell was built around the entire
planet of Neptune, there could be an environment on the planet's
surface.
Megascale engineering could give a planet its complete atmosphere and
home sun radiation exposures and gravitational effects regardless of
whether the sun still existed if it had novaed. So, it would be a
projected sun in the sky, and the surrounding stars at night, with
regular gravity.
If the Earth is 25,000 miles in circumference, it would have to be
bigger than that. Refer to Anders Sandberg's web pages for megascale
engineering.
Ross
-- Ross Andrew Finlayson Finlayson Consulting Ross at Tiki-Lounge: http://www.tiki-lounge.com/~raf/
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