🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <4urchf$m16@news.rhrz.uni-bonn.de>,
Thorsten Franz <UZSD78@Uni-Bonn.DE> wrote:
 >Hello,
 >
 >when I was sitting in my living room tonight, a spot of red light (at
 >most one inch in diameter) appeared on the wall and wandered over it,
 >coming to rest on the back of the head of my girlfriend. I wasn't able
 >to determine the exact size because it was obviously steered by a
 >shaking hand.
 >
 >I thought it might have to do with a construction site across the
 >street and went downstairs to check, but found noone. From down there
 >it was clear that the angle wasn't right anyway and that the beam must
 >have come from one of the dark windows in a nearby administration
 >building, probably 5th or 6th floor.
 >
 >A laser pointer, as used for presentations on blackboards, would have
 >been too unprecise over the estimated distance of 100 meters. I don't
 >know of lab lasers with in-built magnifying glasses, and when you play
 >with measuring devices you don't aim them at people's head because you
 >are probably professional enough to know about the danger of blinding.
 >You would also use a stand.
 >
 >So I figure someone might have been playing with the aiming device of
 >a rifle, especially considering how restless the spot was. I will go
 >to the police tomorrow and report the scary incident. If anyone can
 >give me information that might be useful, confirm my suspicion (so I
 >have something at hand when talking to a lazy officer), or calm me
 >down, I will certainly appreciate it. :-)
 >
 >Maybe a physicist can draw conclusions from the estimated distance and
 >approximate diameter of the beam, or you know what else portable,
 >aimable lasers without a stand/tripod are made for.
 >

I think the gun lasers are basically the same as the pointers
used. I basically use the pointer to do the same types of things,
shining through windows, activating shooting galleries
at amusment parks, and general fooling around.
Each device focus is variable and sometimes adjustable.
I would judge a 100 meter, spot the size of a quarter is not
unheard of using a solid state device.

greg