"Lodestar" is the tenth of twelve Technic History instalments collected in
The Earth Book Of Stormgate and the last of seven such instalments collected in
The Technic Civilization Saga, Volume II,
David Falkayn:
Star Trader. Thus, in the latter case, "Lodestar" is, appropriately, a conclusion.
Saga, Volume III,
Rise Of The Terran,
opens with
Mirkheim. Thus, in the
Saga, these two instalments, like all the others for that matter, are put into their proper chronological order.
Mirkheim begins with a description of the supernova that had been the subject-matter of "Lodestar." The narrator of this opening passage remarks that it was unusual for a giant star to have any planets but Coya had already explained in "Lodestar" that the giant was part of a binary system and that its partner was a barely sub-stellar superjovian planet. A double system is a different proposition from a single star with a planetary system.
7 comments:
"unusual for a giant star to have any planets"
That was the belief at the time Anderson wrote the story. However, I thought I had heard of recent discoveries contradicting that, so a little internet search found these items.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O-type_star
"No exoplanets around O-type stars have been detected so far,[14] although a brown dwarf has been detected around an O-type star named CEN 16.[15]"
Clone to the situation of Mirkheim.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B-type_main-sequence_star
"B-type stars known to have planets include the main-sequence B-type HIP 78530 and HD 129116."
Given the primitive state of exoplanet searches, this makes me suspect that planets orbiting large stars are about as common as planets orbiting smaller stars.
Thanks.
Yeah, we're not going to know for certain until we get bigger space telescopes. Which should happen in the next decade or so.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling!
And I think it would help to have manned observatories in space, with scientists and technicians on the spot able to make instantaneous of their instruments. As is done on observatories on Earth.
Testing.
Ad astra! Sean
Observatories on the ground have an advantage, not so much in astronomers being right there, as it being easy to get to for doing repairs and enhancements to the instruments. So having astronomers by the JWST wouldn't be a big advantage. Having a spacecraft that can easily get to the L2 point for such things as adding an improved instrument or replenishing the helium coolant would be. Designing the telescope to make such maintenance easy would be a big help. I do hope something like Starship is soon working well enough for that.
Kaor, Jim!
That's basically what I had in mind.
Hope this uploads.
Ad astra! Sean
Sean,
I am just about to turn in here. It is 10:45 PM.
Paul.
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