All:
 
Progress abounds! 
1.  I've managed to recreate Michael Richmond's calculations of diffraction, folding colors, and stellar diameter.
 
2.  Derek and I have tested mailing *.exe files.  We succeeded after some halting starts.  I deliberately zip the file on a diskette, scan it with McAfee, and mail the zip file.  The filters on Derek's end then accept it and it runs

a) in DOS 
b) from the START/RUN mode in WIN98SE or WIN XP.
 
3.  The list of constants/variables at the moment is:
 
    color index   OBAFGKM
    distance to moon/asteroid, km
    shadow velocity, km/sec
    graze angle, radians
    time of edge
    star diameter, radians
    light max, digits
    light min, digits
 
For the moment, the last 4 will be iteration driven.  Maybe graze angle.  Shadow velocity and graze angle may turn out to be interactive. The others are constants designed to get us on scale.

 
I plan to implant the color spectra with the silicon chip response convolved.  I have quite a lot of that data for starting.  Probably 400 to 900 nm in either 100 or 50 nm steps.  The operator then selects a letter which best describes the star color.

 
The operator will input the digital data either from text file or by keying it in. 
 
I'll be back with some kind of demo within a few hours/days.  You can never tell with these feedback systems.
 
Some of you appear to have systems shut down for the holiday weekend.  I'll probably repeat this message on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Art Lucas

BREIT IDEAS  Observatory
http://www.poyntsource.com/BREIT_IDEAS/index.htm