Pulsar Stone

A Pulsar Stone is like a Muggle battery - it stores energy for future use. However, that is where the similarities end. While a Muggle battery stores electrical energy, a Pulsar Stone stores light energy from pulsars. This light energy is painstakingly created from pulsars. The more energy that is collected, the larger the Pulsar Stone. Similarly, as the light energy is used up from the Pulsar Stone, the size of the stone decreases. The largest Pulsar Stones take years of focus to create but contain an amazing amount of light energy. Although Pulsar Stones are very challenging to create, they are also very important in the study of Astronomy. In particular, the pulsar energy stored in Pulsar Stones is used to learn more about the Solar System and the rest of the universe. When in use, Pulsar Stones send pulses of light, which can be used to detect objects in space. Many astronomical discoveries can be attributed to the use of Pulsar Stones. Because of the usefulness of Pulsar Stones, wizards go to great lengths to create them.

Light Sail

It is remarkable how Muggles have been in search of
discoveries that would help them understand the vast solar system. Of the
various methods that they have used to achieve this, there is one in particular
that has undergone countless developments over the years and has made several
appearances even in their fictitious works. The history of this artifact covers
four centuries. A lot of you may even have heard about Muggle novelist and
playwright Jules Verne’s 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon in which he
describes the artifact with avid enthusiasm. Word has it in the Muggle world
that they are looking to launch one of these in the year 2016.

The wizarding world has also made use of this artifact for a long time for use in the fields of both potions and charms in order to obtain objects and energy, such as pulsars, star rays as well as meteor fires and are still constantly exploring the skies for further knowledge. Yes, if you’ve guessed it by now, we are talking about light sails also commonly known as solar sails. These are simple structures that come in various shapes and sizes as long as they fulfill their intended purpose, which is as their name indicates, ‘sailing’. These structures are a great means of providing propulsion to a spacecraft and with the use of harnessed sunlight energy (instead of wind) allow for acceleration of the craft, incredibly similar to a sail on a boat.

The artifact
composition and its mechanism:

A light sail is typically composed of an extremely thin film
of a synthetic material which has a coating of aluminum on it that serves to
reflect the sunlight, thereby acting as a mirror. When the sunlight reflects on
the surface (radiation pressure as it is often called), it causes the photons
in the sail to gain momentum, eventually resulting in the sail moving the craft
forward. The sail material is supported by masts, similar to those in a sail
boat. These masts are made of lightweight yet strong materials that assist in
holding the sail in space.

For gaining maximum advantage of the artifact it is
preferred that its size should be as large as possible (to contract maximum
surface area). This would allow for the optimum harnessing of sunlight energy.
Witches and wizards, however, have the advantage of making enormous sails.

Applications in
the Wizarding World:

Muggles have unfortunately been puzzled by maintaining the
size of such an artifact in space and have since limited their sizes. However,
wizards and witches have managed with the aid of various enchantments to
prepare much larger sails. Of course, everybody is familiar with the Engorgio
or Engorgement charm that can be used to expand the sail when in space.
However, it is not that simple. Ample concentration and willpower is required
to maintain the size of the sail. Lack of either component will each lead to
slower speeds and shrinkage of the sail.

Another charm that can be utilized is the Protean Charm on
two way mirrors. This would help in making it easier for the witch or wizard to
glimpse which object is in need of collection. Once spotted, the placement
charm can be used to place the desired object on the target, which in this case
is the sail. For best results combinations of these spells will allow the
caster to obtain exactly what they desire.

Collected Items:

A light sail can be used to collect high energy items in the
space system, of which three are described below, although care must be taken
when attempting collection of these items which is why only experienced witches
and wizards are able to perform it:

-  Pulsar
Energy: Pulsar energy can be easily understood in the example of a
lighthouse. Just as a lighthouse can only be observed when its light hits the
target, a neutron star is observed when it emits pulsars. The pulsar is similar
to the light emitted from a lighthouse. As such, if pulsars are collected,
their energy can be used to detect objects in the solar system. Numerous
extrasolar planets have been discovered via pulsars.

Collecting pulsar energy can facilitate in detecting objects
that are distant and have not yet been explored. Perhaps, for example, wizards
and witches can utilize it to locate isolated objects that might succor in
enhancing qualities of certain potions.

-  Star
rays: these can provide guidance in understanding how stars evolve and
determine their flaring activities. A must item for any star gazer. Many
wizarding parents have been believed to have tried to collect these for their
children.  

-  Meteor
fire: The ability to collect meteor fire would generate a dazzling display
or a fire show. However, collecting this item would require intense
concentration with the charm that would be used. Not only would it entail
locking onto the trail but also the containment of the fire and ultimately safe
storage of it at home.

-
 

Human
Transportation:

As was stated earlier, Muggles have indeed aspired to travel
into space and have succeeded immensely. A light sail has since been used in
countless fictitious works as a means of transportation in deep space, mostly
referred to as interplanetary visits. There is a Wizarding story as well that
we have all heard of in our childhood. The story of the travelling young wizard
and his companion, where the wizard used his wand on a giant sail of the ship
making it sail across the skies on his adventures to other worlds. Muggles have
a similar connotation that they call ‘Peter Pan’.

Nevertheless, ranging from cannons to submarine shapes to
pinwheel styles, light sails have all been imagined countless times and are now
being turned into reality in both our world as well as the Muggle world.

Conclusion:

The future is not far away when both the Muggle and the
Wizarding will achieve momentous space travel and be able to boast of their
collection of immense cosmos wonders.

Perhaps an actual starry sky in your bedroom at night, or a
lantern with a meteor fire condensed inside it, the possibilities are infinite.
So, Allonsy!

‘Sail onward,
till you can’t see the horizon.

Using a Light Sail to Create a Pulsar Stone

For many years, wizardkind struggled to store the energy
obtained from Light Sails. However, in the 20th century, an American wizarding
astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh was able to successfully use a Light Sail to
create a Pulsar Stone. Once he created a Pulsar Stone, he was able to discover
many objects in the Solar System. Two of his most famous discoveries are the
dwarf planet (sorry, Prof. Polgara!) Pluto as well as the Kuiper belt, an
asteroid belt that exists beyond the orbit of Neptune. Both of those
discoveries were made with the help of the Pulsar Stone.

Before you create a Pulsar Stone with a Light Sail, you must
first create an Alchemically-enhanced gold foil. The gold foil gets used up
while making the Pulsar Stone, so the larger the stone you want to create, the
larger the piece of gold foil you would need. For best results, make sure the
gold foil is as thin as possible. Once the gold foil is prepared, perform a
Jupiter to Mercury transition. While the Jupiter to Mercury transition is
thirty-one days long, the transition is necessary because not only does it help
the researcher reflect on the past but also helps the researcher use those
thoughts in an intelligent and rational way. For those taking Prof. Rubedo’s
Alchemy class, this should sound familiar. (If you aren’t in Prof. Rubedo’s
Alchemy class, I recommend signing up!)

Once the Alchemically-enhanced gold foil is ready, place it
on a marble pedestal. If you do not have a marble pedestal, a limestone block
will do but will not be as effective as marble. The spell needs the mineral
calcite for it to work, and the more metamorphosized the rock, the better the
result. Just before you want to create the Pulsar Stone, create a Magical
Tether and use it to connect the gold foil to the Light Sail. The Magical
Tether is a spell that is used to channel magical energy from one item to
another. Anything collected by the Light Sail will be transported to the
pedestal.

After the Magical Tether is established, cast the
appropriate spell at the gold/marble interface. The spell merely “turns on” the
link created by the Magical Tether. Make sure you wear magical sunglasses at
this stage as the gold with shine brightly during this period. When the gold
shines, the researcher will feel the effects of the Jupiter to Mercury
transition affect his/her thoughts. As the Pulsar Stone forms, the gold foil
disappears. The longer the Magical Tether is turn on, the larger the Pulsar
Stone is created.

Once a Pulsar Stone is created, it will harden after three
hours of the Magical Tether being turn off. Researchers who want large Pulsar
Stones are able to keep turning on and off the Magical Tether - and keep adding
to the Pulsar Stone - as long as the Magical Tether has not been turned off for
three hours or more. Researchers have been known to work out extensively and to
take two-hour naps between sessions to make sure they have the endurance to
create large Pulsar Stones. There is one stipulation, however, that is of note
- because of the magical experiences caused by the Alchemically-enhanced gold
foil, only one researcher can work on  a particular Pulsar Stone.