Is that their own galaxy?

Umbran · Dec 1, 2014

hamishspence said:
Keep in mind that the outer spiral arms themselves may be very faint - so the galaxy may be wider than apparent (and thus, closer than apparent).

That would make it a very atypical galaxy, then. While galaxy cores are brighter than their arms, the arms are still full of stars, which have this habit of putting out lots of light. And having so sudden a drop-off in brightness as is depicted would be difficult to explain by known processes.

In the "canonverse" that thing might possibly be another object entirely - a star with some nebulosity, or something along those lines. Certainly that's how it's described in the TESB novel - as a big red star.

Excepting in how red it *isn't* in the movie scene. If you want to suggest something is a big, red star, it helps for it to be red. Making it blue-white, as seen in the image in the OP, doesn't say "big red star" to me at all.

hamishspence · Dec 1, 2014

While galactic cores are full of red giant stars - the cores themselves tend to look closer to yellow than to red. Maybe it's because there's a mix of those with other, younger stars.

The simplest explanation is that it's a cheap special effect - and shouldn't be taken too literally. Which is why it rotates faster than a galaxy, or even a nebula, would be expected to.

Ryujin · Dec 1, 2014

If all of the scientific inaccuracies in Star Wars were put together, the sheer mass of the resulting book would cause a localized spatial collapse. Sometimes it's better to just take it for what it is, a Western in Space, and enjoy it.

Umbran · Dec 1, 2014

hamishspence said:
The simplest explanation is that it's a cheap special effect - and shouldn't be taken too literally. Which is why it rotates faster than a galaxy, or even a nebula, would be expected to.

Well, for its day, it was probably a state-of-the-art special effect. But its day was over 30 years ago.

Dannyalcatraz · Dec 1, 2014

Perhaps it was just a screen saver...

Raunalyn · Dec 1, 2014

One thing that I found that was missing from the Star Wars universe in the movies was the sense of scale...their galaxy didn't seem all that big.

Janx · Dec 1, 2014

Morrus said:
So the final scene from Empire Strikes Back features the heroes looking at a galaxy. They are many, many millions of light years from that galaxy. A bunch of galaxy diameters at minimum. Is that their own galaxy? If so, how did they get so far away from it? And why not hide out there instead of, like, Yavin or Hoth? How fast is hyperdrive, anyway? How long does it take to cross a galaxy? How long would it take to get to that position outside the galaxy?

View attachment 65249

clearly, that's a poster in Luke's room, and they are all tripping to some Hendrix while staring at it.

Dannyalcatraz · Dec 1, 2014

Ok, I guess I have to be the one to say it...

"It's just a model."

delericho · Dec 1, 2014

Raunalyn said:
One thing that I found that was missing from the Star Wars universe in the movies was the sense of scale...their galaxy didn't seem all that big.

And yet the series is famed for the sheer size of the Star Destroyer in that opening shot...

was · Dec 1, 2014

Morrus said:
So the final scene from Empire Strikes Back features the heroes looking at a galaxy. They are many, many millions of light years from that galaxy. A bunch of galaxy diameters at minimum. Is that their own galaxy? If so, how did they get so far away from it? And why not hide out there instead of, like, Yavin or Hoth? How fast is hyperdrive, anyway? How long does it take to cross a galaxy? How long would it take to get to that position outside the galaxy? View attachment 65249

1. Is that their own galaxy? Nope, it's a rental.
2. If so, how did they get so far away from it? They went on vacation, came back and found squatters in their galaxy. This one was all they could afford. Monthly rental on a galaxy is steep.
3. And why not hide out there instead of, like, Yavin or Hoth? Are you kidding? Bugs and Ice, what's not to like?
4. How fast is hyperdrive, anyway? Don't know, the speedometer on my junker is on the fritz.
5. How long does it take to cross a galaxy? Depends on how many toll booths are on your route.
6. How long would it take to get to that position outside the galaxy? Twice as long in the summer due to construction.