Heart of Fire Tracking Thread #2

[Enigma_Nova]

Start with Impact and work your way up!

And yes, I do intend to "PWND J00 N3WBZ". Who isn't intending on winning this game thoroughly?

[Kody]

*raises his hand*

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
So, everywhere on the whole planet is nighttime.
It's got 2 freakin' suns people! Less than half the planet is nighttime.

Depends of the mutual position of the suns, 'Nigma. Alpha Centauri A and B are orbiting each other, you know, and when B is on th other side of A seen from Chiron, dark it is on the nightside!

[Kody]

Enigma could you upload the latest save file onto this forum so that we won't have to worry about fumbling around with email addresses and people getting online at the right time before being able to pass the turn on?

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Kody
I beseech this council to not listen to the madman Magi Engima, he admits he is obviously ploting the destruction of everyone else even as he stands there.

Well, sofar you have refrained from wiping out a faction it seems. I might have better agreed on your proposal shortly before the game started...

[Kody]

Good I see you're not listening to him.

[Hercules]

Ah so I joined this game just to die at 2135 hmmm. Now I understand.

[Enigma_Nova]

Oh, um, yes - here it is.

GeoModder: Do you think the suns would ever eclipse?
I think it's improbable, but it would be cool when it happened.
Maybe it would make native life kill formers or something.

[Enigma_Nova]

Why are people so up-tight about the idea of being Impact Rover rushed?
Relaaax.
I was j/k. I'm actually going to Chop and Drop y'all.

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
GeoModder: Do you think the suns would ever eclipse?
I think it's improbable, but it would be cool when it happened.
Maybe it would make native life kill formers or something.

If both the suns AND the planet orbit in a close enough similar ecliptic plane, yes, B is covered by A once a Chiron orbit then... Mind you, it would only take a day or so before it's finished again.

[Enigma_Nova]

Prolly take only like 10 minutes or so.
Someone do the physics.

/me looks at Kody

[GeoModder]

Originally posted by Enigma_Nova
Prolly take only like 10 minutes or so.
Someone do the physics.

* Enigma_Nova looks at Kody

Haven't heard of the Venus-Sol transit last week, didn't you?

It took Venus 4-5 hours to cross the southern part of the sun, and it was only a mere 40-45 million km away from us.

Alpha Centauri B OTOH would be at least 750 million km away from Chiron at the time of a eclipse. My estimation of 'only' a day is very conservative seen in that light...

[Kody]

I so am not going to look up the masses of the binary star system of alpha centuari then figure out their orbits around each other. It might also have to be followed by the calculations required for considering the rotation of the planet. This should probably take into account the radition given off by the sun and how it would affect the habitable zone of the system, the planet will need to have an orbit in the habitable zone of the system.

It'll take more far longer than 10 minutes I think. An sun on sun eclipse won't cause darkness, probably only a slight dimming of light, so it probably won't be anything spectacular.

[GeoModder]

Kody is correct here. Out of my head the distance between A and B is varies between 5-40 AU (1 AU = distance Earth-sun, 150 million km) and orbits once every 80 something earth years. A bit like Uranus in our star system.

O yes, in the SMAC story Chiron has a 'day' of about 18 hours.

[Enigma_Nova]

1. Presume that Alpha Centauri A has the same angular diameter as the Sun on earth.

2. Presume it weighs the same, so that radius squared is proportional to period cubed

So since venus is at 4/9 AU,
then for a 5 AU binary star, that's 'bout 12 times the distance, 5.25 times the time to get across the disc.

You'd have like 25 minutes to transit the sun.
And for 40 AU, 20 times the time, you'd get a 1 hr 40 minute transit.

Consider that at 5AU, you'd have an extra 1/5 of time when part of Alpha Centauri B's disc overlaps A's disc, so that's 30 minutes.
For 40AU, it's 2.5 extra minutes and is negligible.

There, with simplifying assumptions it's over pretty quicky.
The eclipse would take between 20 and 120 minutes.