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Posted by: paxdan May 8 2006, 04:43 PM

I found this really wonderful http://interconnected.org/home/more/lightcone/ which will calculate the number of stars encompassed in your own personal http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_cone.

From the link:

From the moment of my birth, light [that I could have influenced] has been expanding around the Earth and light [which could influence me, from an increasing distance of origin] reaching it -- this ever-growing sphere of potential causality is my light cone.

My lightcone contains 32 stars the most recent being http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P_Eridani.

Posted by: odave May 8 2006, 05:59 PM

You may have left the link out, Paxdan - I think http://interconnected.org/home/more/lightcone/ is the one. Pretty neat - I'm 3 months away from Zeta Doradus, myself

This is similar to http://outreach.jach.hawaii.edu/birthstars/, which is something I read about in S&T a few years back. Basically, your birthday star in a given year is the one with a light-year distance that's closest to your age. When you look at that star, the light you are seeing was emitted by that star on the day (or month or year, whenever you get to see it) of your birth. It was pretty mind blowing to my 8.6 year old when I showed her Sirius

Posted by: helvick May 8 2006, 06:10 PM

Clearly there are some advantages to getting older - I apparently have 79 stars within my light cone. Sweet.

Posted by: paxdan May 8 2006, 06:22 PM

Yep thats the one, not quite sure how i managed to omit it. I have added it to the post.

Posted by: djellison May 8 2006, 06:33 PM

Just 2 days from Mu Herculis here

Doug

Posted by: Bill Harris May 8 2006, 08:31 PM

Make me feel bad. I'm outside their envelope.

--Bill

Posted by: Bob Shaw May 8 2006, 10:24 PM

Bill:

Does that mean that your twin on the spaceship can kill your grandfather with impunity? Or even a big stick?

Of course, you'd never know...

Bob Shaw