Starship Asterisk*

I've cleaned up my earlier suggestion which was posted here, added some pictures and links, and generally tried to make it easier to follow. I've turned it into a web page which is now posted here. - Don Stoner

... but now it's starting to look like the "focused" section ought to be eleven degrees away from the source - where the highest and cleanest path is. (There goes my calendar.) Can I get a re-measure chadair? -Don

When I plotted it (.gif should be attached) the fan at the top started looking more like simple airborne-dust scattering. The lower the path (both "top" and "bottom" of the pillar), the more near-surface dust it has to pass through and the more likely it will be scattered. -Don

One more thought: The crystals near the ground might be dirtier (4 mph wind with dust) - degrading their optical quality. The other paths (with the exception of the source "bloom") miss these low crystals. -Don

Sorry, I need to learn to write: The source is inside the "cloud" of crystals - Not inside the crystals themselves. -Don

There were many good observations posted (and also many entertaining ones): First, logmark's observation that the pillars exist on a vertical plane between the source and the observer. Next, chadair's that the stars provide angular scale. And, of course , PiTHON's detailed observations. Finally, Ste...