Planet-Seeking

Poul Anderson, The Enemy Stars, 13.

In how many works by Poul Anderson do space travelers go outside their ship to make repairs in space?

Searching for a planet in the system of the dead star, the crew of the Southern Cross follow a particular orbit for a while, then check whether their path has been perturbed. They will then "'...do a Leverrier...'" (p. 102) to find the planet whose gravity has perturbed them. If an entire circumference proves unproductive, then they "'...move outward and try a bigger circle.'" (ibid.)

Planetary-formation theory and data on stellar types enable Maclaren to predict that the planets would have been in the equatorial plane. Their masses, angular momenta and magnetic fields "'...determine the Bode's Law constants...'" (ibid.) When the star went supernova, its inner planets were destroyed and the outer giants were damaged and their orbits altered. Further, gas from the explosion shortens orbits. Unknown relevant data are the date of the explosion and the density of the nebula. The ship follows estimated orbits for the surviving planets. They hope to mine for germanium.

Maclaren explains the search procedure to Ryerson for our benefit.

A reduced rate of post production reflects more activity here, like friends calling for lunch. I am still reading graphic fiction and twentieth century history.