Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!decvax!genrad!panda!talcott!harvard!seismo!rochester!ur-tut!scco
From: scco@ur-tut.UUCP (Sean Colbath)
Newsgroups: net.startrek
Subject: Re: Phasers that look like photons...
Message-ID: <22@ur-tut.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 4-Mar-86 22:06:50 EST
Article-I.D.: ur-tut.22
Posted: Tue Mar  4 22:06:50 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Mar-86 21:35:55 EST
References: <2055@jhunix.UUCP>
Reply-To: scco@ur-tut.UUCP (Sean Colbath)
Distribution: na
Organization: Univ. of Rochester Computing Center
Lines: 28

In article <2055@jhunix.UUCP> ins_atty@jhunix.UUCP (Berserker Bob) writes:
>I seem to recall an old episode of Star Trek where Kirk ordered the phasers,
>fired in a wide field in pulses.  They came out looking like photons.  I can't
>remember which episode it was, but I think that phasers when fired in pulses
>would tend to look like photon torps...wouldn't they?
>That's my solution to the thing...of course, you never know...the producers 
>might've screwed up...eh?
>
>Ted Ying.
>BITNET: INS_ATTY@JHUVMS		UUCP:	seismo!umcp-cs!jhunix!ins_atty
>	G43I4000@JHUVM			ihnp4!whuxcc!jhunix!ins_atty
>        ins_atty@jhunix.BITNET		allegra!hopkins!jhunix!ins_atty

This has always puzzled me, too, and the only explanation that I can come
up with is this:  Since the Enterprise is firing at an invisible target,
they are firing in a large burst pattern in hopes of making a hit (much
like a destroyer does when trying to sink a sub).  Perhaps only the phaser
shots that *hit* a target make the visible beam, and ones that just continue
on out until they dissapate make the sort of flash.  I assumed that what
we were seeing was neither from the Enterprises' point-of-view or the
Romulans' but from some point out in space.  However, the only problem with
this is that if the Enterprise hit, they would have an immediate fix on the
Romulans' position.

Sean Colbath
UUCP:    ...allegra!rochester!ur-tut!scco
BITNET:  SCCO@UORVM
"*No more* bonk bonk!"