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From: markey@tybalt.caltech.edu (Ron A Markey)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,sci.misc,sci.space
Subject: Re: greenhouse effect / solar power satellites
Message-ID: <6120@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: 14 Apr 88 07:40:21 GMT
References: <22678@bbn.COM> <5564@well.UUCP> <761@spdcc.COM> <2997@sfsup.UUCP> <1840@ssc-vax.UUCP> <1033@daisy.UUCP> <226@aplcomm.UUCP>
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Keywords: Supercalafrajilisticexpialidoecous.
Summary: Well, on the other hand, maybe not.

In article <226@aplcomm.UUCP> jwm@stdc.jhuapl.edu.UUCP (James W. Meritt) writes:
>Not being much of an astrophysicist, could someone comment on putting
>dust in an orbit between the earth and the sun?  The position I have in
>mind is an orbit closer to the sun at the point where the earth's
>gravity balances the suns to the extent that it could orbit at the
>(slower) speed that the earth does.  It sounds to me like it would orbit
>properly, but I have no idea how far from the earth this point is, nor
>does it seem overly stable.  Could a, say, 5% reduction in incoming
>solar flux be achieved in this way (balancing the "extra" beamed in
>from those billions and billions of SPSs ;~))?
>
>
>Disclaimer: Individuals have opinions, organizations have policy.
>            Therefore, these opinions are mine and not any organizations!
>Q.E.D.
>jwm@aplvax.jhuapl.edu 128.244.65.5


The distance from the Earth to the center of mass of the cloud works
out to be about 1,530,000 km.  Given that the moon is out there swinging 
around 400,000 km, I don't think that it would be to awfully stable.
I anyone is interested in the math, send me mail and I'll give it to you.

Another problem with this pops to mind.  This dust is not just going to 
block the sunlight, it is going to absorb and re-radiate it.  Given that
the cloud is going to spread out (it would even if the moon weren't screwing
things up) and potentially occupy a lot of sky it seems likely that it
will eventually end up contributing to the problem that it is supposed to
solve by absorbing a LOT of energy and radiating it at Earth.

- Ron (markey@tybalt.caltech.edu)