scott wrote:
>> Well, in an atmosphere, it would be like being hit by an explosion, as 
>> you pile up all the air in front of it.
> 
> Wouldn't something going that fast vaporize immediately when it hit the 
> air going that fast? 

Yes. That's why it's like an explosion. :-)

> Doesn't stuff that going only a fraction of that 
> speed burn up in the outer atmosphere?

Pretty much.

>> Plus, don't forget all that nice gamma-burst radiation. (The railguns 
>> in the story actually had to fire for a few thousand rounds to punch a 
>> hole in the atmosphere so the needles wouldn't just vaporize.)
> 
> Ah yes, ok :-)

Of course, it was fun when they were sitting out on the airless moon, 
trying to shoot down the device orbiting the sun, or at least firing at 
the sun to see if they could get enough radiation to shut down the 
electronics on the thing orbiting the sun....

  --
   Darren New / San Diego, CA, USA (PST)
     Remember the good old days, when we
     used to complain about cryptography
     being export-restricted?

Post a reply to this message