Amazing boomerang photo

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The trajectory of a foam boomerang with LED lights, by Michael Murphree.

From an article called The science of boomerangs, in last month's issue of Popular Mechanics.

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It seems to have three points, not the traditional two.

By Tegumai Bopsul… (not verified) on 07 Sep 2007 #permalink

If you could track a planets rotation and orbit, through time, would it not be similar in appearance? I'm just asking.

Gary Gagne

If you could track a planets rotation and orbit, through time, would it not be similar in appearance? I'm just asking.

Gary Gagne

Way cool!!!

Fascinating

By Matt Miller (not verified) on 07 Sep 2007 #permalink

Makes a great picture, even without the science, but a good article. No mention of Australian boomerang clubs. Have gone off to google what is going on with that.

Very cool picture with the LED's showing the path. You can also see a star in the middle of the path.

I love seeing the beauty of science!

Several of the designs shown (click the link) do have three instead of two points.

The last bit of the last page:

"Made for the Maximum Time Aloft event at competitions, the MTA has asymmetrical wings that present more surface area to the wind, maximizing lift. And at a mere half-ounce, the 13-in.-wide MTA floats on the slightest updraft.

Its a crazy shape compared to most other designs, Darnell says. Its airfoil, how-ever, is extremely efficient. It loses little energy to the formation of noise, for example.

A few years ago, officials informally timed the silent rang at 17 minutes aloft. Sometimes, an MTA just disappears, says Ted Bailey, a former president of the U.S. Boomerang Association. We call that losing it to the jet-stream god.

By Hank Roberts (not verified) on 07 Sep 2007 #permalink

EPIC!! This is a fabulous idea for using LEDs. I love it. It took me a minute to figure out what the picture was. THis is great.

Man, those guys had to stand pretty still to avoid begin caught in motion like the boomerang. Doesn't look like a three pointer, though, because of the double helix at the end.

By Jonathan Rudolph (not verified) on 07 Sep 2007 #permalink

yeah maybe because one of the points represents centre of gravity or COM whatever... the other two are the two ends supposably

Man, those guys had to stand pretty still to avoid begin caught in motion like the boomerang.

Not really, all the single person photographed (note identical clothing) had to do was fail to luminesce while not holding the boomerang. The image of him/her before and after release was likely accomplished by a strobe flash (note the whiteness of the light on the face).I stand by my call of a 3-pointed boomerang; it is clearly a regular triple helix throughout except for some distortion near the release point.

By Tegumai Bopsul… (not verified) on 08 Sep 2007 #permalink

A google search for scimitar darnell gets you amongst others, an Amazon.com page for Black Jax Sports with an illustration. $19.99 plus S&H will get you one.

It has 3 arms.

By JohnnieCanuck, FCD (not verified) on 08 Sep 2007 #permalink

That's a very inspiring picture to me for some reason. I love it. Cheers me up. Looks like a magick spell or something extremely high tech at work. Funny it's from such "primitive" constituent parts. Wonder about the shutter settings on the camera. What is the reason for the "dotted" sections I wonder?

*iza