human
First of all, my friend, answered Barbicane,
gpt
But how if we get near enough?
human
Pure mistake, replied Barbicane.
gpt
Have you not seen shooting stars rush through the sky by thousands at certain seasons?
human
Yes.
gpt
Well, these stars, or rather corpuscules, only shine when they are heated by gliding over the atmospheric layers. Now, if they enter the atmosphere, they pass at least within forty miles of the earth, but they seldom fall upon it. The same with our projectile. It may approach very near to the moon, and yet not fall upon it.
human
But then, asked Michel,
gpt
I shall be curious to know how our erring vehicle will act in space?
human
I see but two hypotheses,
gpt
What are they?
human
The projectile has the choice between two mathematical curves, and it will follow one or the other according to the speed with which it is animated, and which at this moment I cannot estimate.
gpt
Yes, said Nicholl,
human
Just so, replied Barbicane.
gpt
With a certain speed it will assume the parabola, and with a greater the hyperbola.
human
I like those grand words, exclaimed Michel Ardan;
gpt
My friend, answered the captain,
human
Ah! ah!
gpt
It is very nearly, continued Nicholl,
human
Perfect! And the hyperbola?
gpt
The hyperbola, Michel, is a curve of the second order, produced by the intersection of a conic surface and a plane parallel to its axis, and constitutes two branches separated one from the other, both tending indefinitely in the two directions.
human
Is it possible! exclaimed Michel Ardan in a serious tone, as if they had told him of some serious event.
gpt
What I particularly like in your definition of the hyperbola (I was going to say hyperblague) is that it is still more obscure than the word you pretend to define.