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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watdcsu!herbie
From: herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS])
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: More Dumb Captains, Stupid Viewscreens, and a net.astro Question
Message-ID: <1449@watdcsu.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 2-Jun-85 14:38:44 EDT
Article-I.D.: watdcsu.1449
Posted: Sun Jun  2 14:38:44 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 3-Jun-85 01:15:41 EDT
References: <777@voder.UUCP>
Reply-To: herbie@watdcsu.UUCP (Herb Chong [DCS])
Organization: U of Waterloo
Lines: 26
Summary: 

In article <777@voder.UUCP> kevin@voder.UUCP (The Last Bugfighter) writes:
>   One question though, just how dense is a nebula?  They may be dense
>enough to totally block seeing through from earth, but how dense is one
>when you're floating inside it?

a typical nebula is dense only compared to interstellar space.  i think
the numbers are a few hundred or thousand molecules per cm^3 as opposed
to a few per cm^3 for interstellar space.  a nebula would hinder
optical (and for that matter, electronic vision) less than the earth's
atmosphere on the clearest of days unless you had light months of the
stuff in the way.  most nebulas are a few light years across.  the
orbit of pluto is approximately 4 light hours in radius.  any
collection of matter dense enough to cause the visual and electronic
effects at the speeds they were moving would also involve the danger of
running into asteroids, planets and suns.  so, don't try for a real
explanation.  it was a plot device that depended on the ignorance of
astrophysics of the audience.

Herb Chong...

I'm user-friendly -- I don't byte, I nybble....

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