20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Mon Aug 14, 2017 12:14 am

20170814 Reference #1

On this day in 1520, the Magellan Expedition continued a wait for favorable weather at Puerto San Julian.
For the first two months of this period, members of the crew transported supplies from the wreck of the Santiago. The distance overland was about 100 miles, and the journey took four days.

The voyage of exploration resumed on August 24, so there were three months of Southern wintry weather to endure.

***
Google provides a "Quick Fact" about the port where the expedition spent the next three months:
Begin Quotation:
Puerto San Julián is a natural harbour in Patagonia in the Santa Cruz Province of Argentina located at 49°18′S 67°43′W. In the days of sailing ships it formed a stopping point, 180 km south of Puerto Deseado.Wikipedia
End Quotation.

I wondered what the weather might have been like in Magellan's time. It is likely that the expedition log books would have recorded the conditions that the crew endured during the layover, but assuming the weather is comparable today to what it was then, we have this report, from https://www.windfinder.com/webcams/puerto_san_julian

***
Wind and weather webcams
Puerto San Julián
Maps Winds 23mph West Temperature 34°F

Report from local weather station at 8:00 am local time.
SUNRISE 8:41 SUNSET 18:30 LOCAL TIME 9:53 am (UTC -3) ELEVATION 62 m
***
The purpose of following Ferdinand Magellan and his crew for the duration of their voyage of discovery, 497 years ago, is to secure an anchoring framework for evaluation of alternate futures that might come about in the near or far term.

Analog Magazine's current edition, for July/August 2017, includes a short story by Eve Warren that caught my eye. Ms. Warren presumes that settlement of Mars has succeeded, and that a second generation of native born citizens are succeeding in dealing with the environment. The story, entitled "Teamwork", features an interview of a native young person by a "presumably grizzled" old female military officer who "commands" the settlement.

The element of Ms. Warren's story that I am picking up on today is her mention of use of a means of generating a planetary magnetic field to protect the atmosphere and the biosphere from further predation by Solar radiation and particles. Ms. Warren may have thought of the mechanism herself, or she may be reflecting ideas developed by others, but since this is the first reference I have read to a specific solution, I thought it worth noting.

Begin Quotation from page 158:
When the robots had finished building the solenoid around the equator and radiation flowed around the planet rather than baking its surface, ...
End Quotation.

In thinking about how a permanent magnetic field might be established for Mars, I might have considered a solenoid, but Ms. Warren's depiction of the idea brings it into focus.

While the Earth's magnetic field is reported to be caused by movement of molten material in the interior of the planet, a constructed system on Mars could be optimized for efficiency, as part of a theme of least cost for construction and least cost for ongoing operation and maintenance.

In particular, it seems to me reasonable to suppose the designers might seek to reduce resistance to movement of electrons in the conductors of the "solenoid", and room temperature superconducting physics would certainly help.

(th)
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sun Aug 20, 2017 12:10 pm

20170821 Reference #1

The voyage resumed on August 24th, 497 years ago.

Ferdinand Magellan had already endured threat of mutiny and then the real thing, and a third (by desertion) was close at hand.

Despite these episodes, and the loss of the Santiago due to severe weather in May, Magellan prepared his crews for departure from Puerto San Julian.

During the five months stay in Puerto San Julian, the expedition met people of the region. Magellan called these native people “Patagones”.

Per Reference #10, page 68:
Begin Quotation:
The people are believed to have been Tehuelche Indians, probably taller and heavier than the Europeans.
End Quotation.

Antonio Pigafetta reported that Magellan captured two men by trapping them with leg irons. They both died later in the voyage.

(th)
Last edited by tahanson43206 on Fri Sep 15, 2017 8:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sun Aug 27, 2017 1:16 pm

20170827 Magellan Expedition

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition are en route from their winter shelter at Puerto San Julian to Puerto Santa Cruz, at the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz.

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

A distance calculator at: https://distancecalculator.globefeed.com/

Gives a distance of 161 km or 100 miles between the two locations.

That distance is computed for an overland route that is decidedly NOT a direct route.

The straight line distance is given as 98 km or 61 miles.

On page 17 of Reference 1, Antonio Pigafetta gives the distance as four leagues or 100 miles.

I'm assuming the distance was estimated, and my guess is the route might have been along the shoreline, so the estimated distance seems reasonable.

The expedition took almost three weeks to make this voyage. That seems to me to be a surprisingly slow pace, but perhaps speed was not of the essence.

Per http://cgi.cs.duke.edu/~des/datecalc/datecalc.cgi:
From 08/24/1520 to 09/14/1520 is 21 days.
Reference 1, Page 145 Item [94]
Begin Quotation:
The Rio de Santa Cruz, discovered 3 May 1520 by Joao Serrao during the Santiago's exploration.
End Quotation.

(th)
Last edited by tahanson43206 on Mon Sep 18, 2017 11:34 pm, edited 1 time in total.
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sat Sep 02, 2017 1:04 pm

20170902 Magellan Expedition En Route to Rio Santa Cruz

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition are en route from their winter shelter at Puerto San Julian to Puerto Santa Cruz, at the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz.

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

The expedition took almost three weeks to make this voyage. That seems to me to be a surprisingly slow pace, but perhaps speed was not of the essence.

Reference 1, Page 145 Item [94]
Begin Quotation:
The Rio de Santa Cruz, discovered 3 May 1520 by Joao Serrao during the Santiago's exploration.
End Quotation.

A possible explanation for the slow pace of progress South along the coast of South America is prevailing winds.

https://www.windfinder.com/webcams/puerto_san_julian

Another explanation might be light winds?

Begin Quotation:
Wind and weather webcams
Puerto San Julián
Maps
2 mph
South-Southwest
55°F
Overcast
Data based on our forecast model
SUNRISE
7:27
SUNSET
19:22
LOCAL TIME
4:37 pm (UTC -3) ELEVATION
62 m
End Quotation.

The winds are blowing from the South at 2 miles per hours. If that situation prevailed for an extended period, I can see why it might have taken three weeks to cover 100 miles.

Google Earth shows a view of the coastline in the photograph "Costa atlantica" by Markovacic at location: 49 degrees 23 minutes 55.91 seconds South 67 degrees 39 minutes 52.66 seconds West

Further down towards the South, Google Earth shows Play del Faro by Laura y Francisco

Further down, Google Earth shows Faro San Francisco by Laura y Francisco. This photograph shows a navigation warning light and a view of the Atlantic at sunrise on a cloudy day.

At the curve of the coastline approaching Rio Santa Cruz, Google Earth shows a photograph by Marce Lobato "Sentido sur". This picture really captures the desolate scene the crew would have been seeing as they made their slow way South.
(th)
Last edited by tahanson43206 on Thu Sep 21, 2017 1:58 pm, edited 2 times in total.
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sat Sep 09, 2017 1:47 pm

20170909 Magellan Expedition En Route to Rio Santa Cruz

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition are en route from their winter shelter at Puerto San Julian to the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz.

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

The expedition took almost three weeks to make this voyage. That seems to me to be a surprisingly slow pace, but perhaps speed was not of the essence.

Reference 1, Page 145 Item [94]
Begin Quotation:
The Rio de Santa Cruz, discovered 3 May 1520 by Joao Serrao during the Santiago's exploration.
End Quotation.

A possible explanation for the slow pace of progress South along the coast of South America is prevailing winds.

https://www.windfinder.com/webcams/puerto_san_julian

Another explanation might be light winds?

Begin Quotation:
Puerto San Julián weather on 2017/09/20
Maps
Wind 22 mph West
54°F
Overcast
Data based on our forecast model
SUNRISE
7:22
SUNSET
19:25
LOCAL TIME
11:55 pm (UTC -3) ELEVATION
62 m End Quotation.

On the day this reading was taken, the winds are blowing from the West at 22 miles per hours.

Thanks to advances of 497 years, it is possible to see photographs taken by travelers who visited both the land and water in the vicinity of the Magellan Straits.

Using Google Earth …
Find Rio Santa Cruz Argentina

The coast line North of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz and South of Puerto San Julian was the path taken by the expedition over 21 days in 1520.

Even today, the shore along that stretch does not seem particularly inspiring. In Ground View, Google Earth shows bluffs running almost the entire stretch.

(th)
Last edited by tahanson43206 on Thu Sep 21, 2017 3:31 am, edited 1 time in total.
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:04 am

20170916 Magellan Expedition Arrived at Rio Santa Cruz

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition reached the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz.

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Pu ... C9300:1:AR

DAY SEP 21
DESCRIPTION Showers Early
HIGH / LOW --45°
PRECIP 30%
WIND W 12 mph
Humidity 58%

Using Google Earth …
Find Rio Santa Cruz Argentina

13 photograph icons appear in the display for Rio Santa Cruz. Some of the icons offer multiple views of the land and ocean. Penguins appear in multiple views.

Reference 1: Page lx Chronology of the Voyage
Begin Quotation:
14 September 1520: The four remaining ships of the fleet reach Rio Santa Cruz at latitude 50 degrees South, where they remain until 18 October.
End Quotation.

(th)
Last edited by tahanson43206 on Mon Sep 25, 2017 12:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sun Sep 24, 2017 11:28 am

20170924 Magellan Expedition Replenishing Supplies at Rio Santa Cruz

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition are pausing at the Rio Santa Cruz.

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Pu ... C9300:1:AR

The weather for today, as reported by Weather.Com is:
Mostly cloudy with wind
High/Low 53/36
No precipitation
Winds WSW at 24 mph
Humidity 33%

Using Google Earth …
Find Rio Santa Cruz Argentina

13 photograph icons appear in the display for Rio Santa Cruz. Some of the icons offer multiple views of the land and ocean. Penguins appear in multiple views.

Reference #10: Page 69 The Voyage Begins
Nancy Smiler Levinson summarized this phase of the voyage in one paragraph:
Begin Quotation:
It was not until August that the fierce storms let up and the fleet was able to depart for Santa Cruz, the estuary where the shipwreck had occurred. There they anchored and laid in a fresh supply of fish, game, seals and sea birds, which they salted and smoked. They stayed until everyone was satisfied that the provisions were plentiful enough to last for some time.
End Quotation.

(th)
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sat Sep 30, 2017 1:23 pm

20170930 Magellan Expedition Replenishing Supplies at Rio Santa Cruz

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition are pausing at the Rio Santa Cruz. According to Antonio Pigafetta, Reference 1 Page 17, the crew was quite busy indeed!

Begin Quotation:
Departing from there, we found, in fifty-one degrees less one-third degree, toward the Antarctic Pole, a river of fresh water in which the ships were almost lost because of the furious winds; but God and the holy bodies aided them. We stayed about two months in that river in order to supply the ships with water, wood, and fish, [the latter being] one cubit in length and more, and covered with scales: they were very good although there were too few of them.
End Quotation.

Reference 1, Page 145, Note 94:
Begin Quotation:
The Rio de Santa Cruz, discovered 3 May 1520 by Joao Serrao during the Santiago exploration.
End Quotation.

Reference 1, Page 145, Note 95:
Begin Quotation.
Between 14 September and 18 October 1520.
End Quotation.

Reference 1, Page 145, Note 96:
Begin Quotation:
Da Mosto identified this fish as the Eleginus maclovinus
End Quotation.

This citation in Wikipedia includes a picture of the fish:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleginops_maclovinus

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ar/santa ... cast/10851

Current weather: 48 degrees Fahrenheit

Using Google Earth …
Find Rio Santa Cruz Argentina

13 photograph icons appear in the display for Rio Santa Cruz. Some of the icons offer multiple views of the land and ocean. Penguins appear in multiple views.

***
This thread is intended to serve as the framework for thinking about expeditions and living away from Earth.

The crew of the Magellan expedition had a lot to worry about as they ventured into the unknown, West of the Atlantic Ocean, but (as nearly as I can tell) bacteria was not a concern. Bacteria weren't even discovered until about 150 years later.

The results of a recently concluded Mars Trip Simulation show that bacteria most certainly WILL be a concern for crews of small volume environments:
https://www.livescience.com/60602-micro ... -mars.html

I cannot recall ANY author considering this issue in science fiction, or any other venue, with the notable exception that a small number of science fiction authors have considered odor in constructing their off-Earth scenarios, but even they did not mention bacteria as the source of aroma.

(th)
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sat Oct 07, 2017 2:38 pm

20171007 Magellan Expedition Replenishing Supplies at Rio Santa Cruz

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition are pausing at the Rio Santa Cruz.

Reference 1, Page 145, Note 95:
Begin Quotation.
Between 14 September and 18 October 1520.
End Quotation.

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ar/santa ... cast/10851

Current weather: 50 degrees Fahrenheit

Looking ahead: Very windy from tomorrow afternoon into Saturday afternoon.

Using Google Earth …
Find Rio Santa Cruz Argentina

13 photograph icons appear in the display for Rio Santa Cruz. Some of the icons offer multiple views of the land and ocean. Penguins appear in multiple views.

The next major phase of the expedition resumed on October 18th, just 11 days from today, 497 years ago. One month and ten days later, Magellan and the remainder of his crew will steer resolutely West into the Pacific Ocean.

The activity of the crew was directed at securing supplies of water, wood and fish during the stay in the Rio Santa Cruz.


Reference #11, Page 140 (opened at random) describes experiments in closed life support systems, starting with a sealed environment at Langley Research Center in the 1960s, and including the famous Biosphere experiments.

While Magellan and his crew were taking full advantage of the environment through which they were passing to prepare for the voyage across the Pacific, crews setting out to live away from Earth are going to have to do the same thing, albeit at a much higher level of sophistication.
On page 143, Rachael Armstrong asserts:
Begin Quotation:
The starship question highlights how little we really know about the operating systems and infrastructures that generate the conditions for our own survival.
End Quotation.

(th)
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

Re: 20160920 Magellan Space City Designer Planet Simulation

Postby tahanson43206 » Sat Oct 14, 2017 1:16 pm

20171014 Magellan Expedition Replenishing Supplies at Rio Santa Cruz

On this day, 497 years ago, the four remaining ships of the Magellan Expedition are pausing at the Rio Santa Cruz.

Reference 1, Page 145, Note 95:
Begin Quotation.
Between 14 September and 18 October 1520.
End Quotation.

Google Earth gives the center of the mouth of Rio Santa Cruz as 50 degrees 7 minutes South, and 68 degrees, 20 minutes West.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/ar/santa ... cast/10851

Current weather: 52 degrees Fahrenheit (taken 2017/10/18)

Looking ahead: Temperature will reach 70 degrees Fahrenheit on October 22nd

Using Google Earth …
Find Rio Santa Cruz Argentina

13 photograph icons appear in the display for Rio Santa Cruz. Some of the icons offer multiple views of the land and ocean. Penguins appear in multiple views.

The next major phase of the expedition resumed on October 18th, 497 years ago. One month and ten days later, Magellan and the remainder of his crew will steer resolutely West into the Pacific Ocean.

The activity of the crew was directed at securing supplies of water, wood and fish during the stay in the Rio Santa Cruz.

The expedition took only three days to reach the Eastern mouth of what we know today as the Strait of Magellan.

Per Reference #10, Page 70:
Begin Quotation:
… against strong, punishing headwinds, he led the fleet further south, to a long sandy point he named Cape Virgenes, in honor of Saint Ursula, on whose birthday, October 21, it was discovered.
End Quotation.

Google Earth shows several picture icons labeled Cabo Virgenes, along the coast North of the entrance to the Strait of Magellan.

The coordinates of one of these is:
52 degrees 20 minutes 26.43 seconds South
68 degrees 21 minutes 57.87 seconds West

The icon at this location offers 12 images of the area, including penguins and a lighthouse.

From an altitude of 259 km, the complex system of bays and channels which Magellan and his crew explored is visible.

(th)
May every member of The Knowledge forum grow financially, intellectually, socially and beyond.
tahanson43206
 
Posts: 1660
Joined: Sun Jun 07, 2015 3:38 pm

PreviousNext

Return to How to build a civilization from scratch on another world?

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests

cron