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Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer)
Newsgroups: net.space
Subject: Re: Light Sails with holes
Message-ID: <5172@utzoo.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 5-Mar-85 20:32:11 EST
Article-I.D.: utzoo.5172
Posted: Tue Mar  5 20:32:11 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Mar-85 20:32:11 EST
References: <595@mordor.UUCP> <5095@utzoo.UUCP>, <133@azure.UUCP>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
Lines: 10

> Wouldn't holes "significantly smaller than a wavelength of light" also
> be significantly smaller than air molecules?  Punching holes to reduce
> weight sounds like a good idea, but I'm not convinced it would reduce
> the drag any.

Air molecules are several orders of magnitude smaller than the wavelength
of visible light, so it does indeed work.
-- 
				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!henry