Planetary Masking

[Condottiere]

 

[Galadrion]

At a distance of one Parsec, an error of one second of arc (1/360th of a degree) puts you off course by 1 AU. By definition.

Correction: 1/3600th of a degree. One degree is 60 minutes of arc, 1 minute of arc is 60 seconds of arc. Otherwise accurate.

 

[rinku]

Oops. Serves me right. Fortunately it just makes my point even pointier

 

[Condottiere]

You do need to be at a fairly precise point, and direction.

Unless, there actually is considerable wiggle room.

 

[Midas]

I'm not so sure that CT operated that way. My understanding is that, once you're in jump, then you're committed for the full journey. Only a mishap can produce a failure that pushes the ship out of jump space.

Besides, you wouldn't want to exit J-Space early because you'd be in deep space without anyplace to re-fuel. It'd be the last thing you ever do.

This is an adventure hook.
IIRC there is at least one scenario dealing with this exact event.
The missing ship numbers between two systems is statistically higher than it should be, not enough for the Imperium to Red Zone jumps, but enough for insurers to be alarmed.
The reason is IIRC there is a "shoal" a large (small in interstellar terms) massive object who's jump shadow sometimes cuts into the flight path between the two systems. Our Heroes - being trouble magnets - find this Sargasso and have to figure a way out.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[rinku]

I don't know if it's been ever discussed, but beyond a certain precision, quantum fluctuations can be important. Relativistic effects as well... it's a definite thing that you are removing the ship from one frame of reference and placing it into another, apparently by moving it into a third one.

Certainly if you want a scientific excuse to limit jump accuracy, those would do.

 

[MasterGwydion]

Personally, I love the whole idea of Jumpspace Shoals and Deeps. In MTU, that is the reason that the rifts and empty hexes blocked travel for so many years. If you can jump clean over them, then they don't affect you. If you can't you are subject to the full effects of whatever that shoal or deep does. Could be a distance inaccuracy to the jump, a time inaccuracy, or each parsec could cost you extra parsecs of jump range. It also makes jumping between mains in J-1 ships who double up on fuel a risky proposition.

Edit- Either way, the type of disturbance is always the same in each parsec of shoal or deep.

 

[Condottiere]

What you want are currents and trade winds.

 

[Geir]

Maelstroms, eddies, and vortexes (vortexi ? nope, but it should be.)
I should have added those to Special Circumstances in the WBH. Well, shoals and deeps, anyway. Maybe even a wormhole concept or two.

 

[Longboat]

Maelstroms, eddies, and vortexes (vortexi ? nope, but it should be.)
I should have added those to Special Circumstances in the WBH. Well, shoals and deeps, anyway. Maybe even a wormhole concept or two.

WBH Addendum. WBH Update.

Or, to get lively...

WBH Vortex!

WBH Maelstrom!

WBH Across the Horizon

 

[WHULorigan]

vortexes (vortexi ? nope, but it should be.)

Vortices. (with a long " ē ").

 

[CordwainerFish]

Vortices. (with a long " ē ").

flinches in Great Vowel Shift

 

[rinku]

Maelstroms, eddies, and vortexes (vortexi ? nope, but it should be.)
I should have added those to Special Circumstances in the WBH. Well, shoals and deeps, anyway. Maybe even a wormhole concept or two.

Vortices is co-correct with vortexes. But since the correct Latin plural is vortices, vortexi is RIGHT OUT.