Solar "death ray" - power of 5,000 suns

[Saru]

Solar \"death ray\" - power of 5,000 suns

Click here to watch video - 04:41s

This intensity of light is more than enough to melt steel, vaporize aluminum or boil concrete.

[Bildr]

I just found funny and silly the ''power of 5000 suns" affirmation. But still very intriguing.

[gingee703]

That is so awesome.

[Oakum]

It makes one wonder what else is out there in the world with such destructive power beside nuclear energy. If a comoner like this man can come up with such a weapon on a small scale from natural means then what can the military do with a much bigger version? With a bigger version one can most certainly vaporize flying machines in the air or cause certain buildings to burst into flames, or even start forest fires etc...?

[encouraged]

WOW!

[Rlyeh]

I kind've thought 5000 suns would be a bit more powerful.

[Drev]

I want one =D

[1Batman1]

COOL!NOW IS THE POWER OF THE SUN IN THE HAND OF MAN

[encouraged]

So, how could the focal point's energy be channeled without melting whatever is doing it? hummm

Could an adjustable focal length structure be made that coordinates adjusting all 5,000 mirrors all at the same time. I guess if the project was sized up there would be room for such. Maybe by a fine thread screw adjustment? hummm

Before the USSR fell into financial problems, the government was working on like geocentric satellite devices to reflect additional sunlight onto the Northern portions of the nation. They were to be pointed at the communities that specialized in coal mining, Baltic Sea fisheries, research stations, and petroleum drilling sites. The reason was to combat Vitamin D deficiencies. Up to that time the children would be herded into a gymnasium wearing their undies and welder's goggles to get a dose of an extremely bright light which was their supplement to sunlight during the winter months. The light provided a full spectrum of sun-like radiation.

As wikipedia says:

A lack of sunlight, on the other hand, is considered one of the primary causes of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a serious form of the "winter blues". SAD occurrence is more prevalent in locations further from the tropics, and most of the treatments (other than prescription drugs) involve light therapy, replicating sunlight via lamps tuned to specific (visible, not ultra-violet) wavelengths of light or full-spectrum bulbs.

A recent study indicates that more exposure to sunshine early in a person’s life relates to less risk from multiple sclerosis (MS) later in life.

View: To read more!

My source is my host and hostess when we were living in Moscow, Russia.

Edited October 14, 2011 by encouraged

[DKO]

Mythbusters tried this but weren't able to do it as good.

[_Only]

Mythbusters tried this but weren't able to do it as good.

Well they were trying to burn something very far away with mirrors positioned farther away from each other. Was hard to get them in that way from that far to focus well. But they were stuck having to do it that way to fulfill the requirements of the myth. This is a lot more compacted, and basically you have to stick whatever you want to heat right in front of the thing. Still good result for their hard work.

Just wondering where the "power of 5,000 suns" bit came from. Does 1 mirror = 1 sun, or what?

edit - Hmmm, I guess I understand how they're using that term, as it's taking a single ray of the sun x 5,800, and focusing them all into one ray. Still kind of misleading term, but sounds cool.

Edited October 17, 2011 by Jerry Only