ballistics, etc.

[Derek Davis]

I just want to throw a question to the more scientifically knowledgeable
among you. I haven't read GR in many years, for reasons that I may go into
some night when I'm soused enough. At any rate, a couple posts here lately
reminded me that Pynchon refers regularly to the ballistic arc as a
parabola. However, I saw somewhere that, correctly, it's actually a section
of an ellipse. Could someone comment on a) if this is correct and b) if so,
why would Pynchon have thought it was (or presented it as) a parabola?

Derek Davis                           3311 Baring St., Phila., PA 19104
dsbdavis at omni.voicenet.com                          Voice: 215-222-4956
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