Rotating Mirrors

From: "Ian Woollard"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2001 11:10 PM
Subject: Re: [spacesettlers] Rotating Mirrors

[snikt]
> Probably I'm a philistine, maybe diffuse sunlight, or multiple suns
> would be fine; but the sun shouldn't noticeably move. I don't
> think the shape of the sun matters at all. You can't look directly
> at the sun- it's too bright.
>

The use of diffuse sunlight was discussed in an ancient thread. The
conclusion was that probably it was not very good for agriculture. However,
if you have your agriculture in separate modules, then I think that diffuse
sunlight can be used with advantages for lighting your urban module.
(Personally, I *hate* direct sunlight and usually I walk in the shadowy side
of the streets. A habitat with diffuse sunlight would be paradise for me!
;-) Also, diffuse sunlight perhaps can be implemented in a much easier way.
For instance, if you have a cylinder with hemispherical endcaps pointing
towards the sun, then you can provide lighting with a transparent sunward
cap, so that sunlight enters this circular "window" and hits the inner face
of the other cap, which could be painted in white or covered with polished
aluminum.

[snikt]
> --
> - Ian Woollard (ian.woollard@...)
>
> "Is a planetary surface the right place for an expanding
> technological civilization?"
> - Gerard O'Neill

Lucio Coelho