P1070046 Visualisation of a spacecraft's trajectory

Bob Mahoney, the author of "Damned to Heaven" (center), and two volunteers from the audience demonstrate a hyperbolic trajectory on which a spacecraft approaches a planet. A hyperbole has asymptotes. So as Bob handed Patrick a styrofoam noodle for this visualisation, he had an opportunity to make a joke "here, grab my asymptote".

Read more about the Orbital Mechanics panel in my blog. Read more about ArmadilloCon 2009 in this series of blog posts.