Πd
Posted on July 29th, 2011 by Kathryn Harper

It was not just a circle that was displayed on Commander Kathryn Harper’s helm console, but a perfect circle with a radius of one astronomical unit, calculated with unusual precision. At its center was the computer’s representation of the gamma ray burst, twin cones emanating in opposite directions from the poles of a doomed star.

Orbits are usually elliptical and not perfectly circular, but the Admiral ordered a distance of one astronomical unit and she had to obey his order with absolute perfection. One AU is equal to about 149,597,870.7 kilometers. The circumference of a circle is given by its diameter multiplied by π. Π expanded to forty decimal places is equal to 3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971, which was sufficient precision to calculate the circumference of any circle that could fit in the observable universe with a margin of error comparable to the radius of a hydrogen atom. Kate supposed that would have to be precise enough, and hoped it would be sufficient for the Admiral’s needs.

Therefore, Kate’s calculations revealed that she must fly an orbit with a circumference of exactly 939,951,143.16 kilometers. The pull of the star’s gravity threatened to alter their trajectory at any time, so her fingers were constantly dancing across the console, making tiny adjustments to stay on that perfectly circular path.