How long is a long time ago, and how far is far, far away?

MarkB · Apr 2, 2017

Olgar Shiverstone said:
From Wookiepedia:

"The Episode II DVD-ROM Exclusive Content states that "the cluster known as the Rishi Maze may be the bright object that Luke and Leia stare at at the end of The Empire Strikes Back." However, Leland Chee confirmed on the StarWars.com Message Boards that the object seen in Episode V is the Star Wars galaxy,[3] despite this requiring the Rebel fleet to have traveled a very long distance from the galaxy. However, such a travel is possible according to the Outbound Flight Project led by Jedi Master Jorus C'baoth. The Rebel fleet could also be in the Rishi Maze during this scene, and thus able to view the main galaxy from outside."

The Rishi Maze, formally known as Companion Aurek, was one of the seven satellite dwarf galaxies that orbited the galaxy proper.

A large factor in plotting and flying hyperspace routes in the Star Wars universe is finding safe, fast courses around major gravity wells. So it's entirely possible that once you get out into intergalactic space away from any gravity wells, hyperspatial travel could become significantly faster and easier.

Mustrum_Ridcully · Apr 2, 2017

MarkB said:
A large factor in plotting and flying hyperspace routes in the Star Wars universe is finding safe, fast courses around major gravity wells. So it's entirely possible that once you get out into intergalactic space away from any gravity wells, hyperspatial travel could become significantly faster and easier.

But then wouldn't there be more mention of travel between galaxies? Is extra-galactic travel actually something trivial and we're just focusing on the Star Wars equivalent of Europe?

MarkB · Apr 2, 2017

Mustrum_Ridcully said:
But then wouldn't there be more mention of travel between galaxies? Is extra-galactic travel actually something trivial and we're just focusing on the Star Wars equivalent of Europe?

Even if it's faster that doesn't trivialise the massive gulf between galaxies. And a large portion of the pre-Disney Expanded Universe concerns an intergalactic invasion.

Olgar Shiverstone · Apr 2, 2017

Since Star Wars is science fantasy that operates along the lines of "a space wizard did it", consistent conclusions are pretty hard to draw.

Still, given how hyperdrives supposedly work, for long trips across the galaxy it might actually make more sense to jump out of the galaxy (perpedicular to the ecliptic) to get to an area of low star density, then cross the galactic disk, then jump back down toward the plane of the galaxy, rather than jumping through more dense space.

Kaodi · Apr 3, 2017

Well, if you woke up at 2 AM, spent 3 hours seeing the sights, then drove like 10 hours, and spent like 3 hours seeing the sights, I think you would be done in time before "evening" ? ; )

In the Summer of '97 my family went on a road trip from our Home a bit West of Kingston, Ontario (which is at the mouth if the St. Lawrence) all the way to Campbell River (which is in the midsection of Vancouver Island) . Granted, we did a lot of sightseeing along the way, but we allocated a whole month for that.

Viking Bastard · Apr 4, 2017

I kinda like to think the SW universe is set in the distant past of the Stargate Universe. The dark side users eventually win (as the "the Ori") and kick the light side users (the Alterans) out of the SW galaxy, who come here and seed the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies in their image.

Now, the Alterans' trip here apparently took millions of years, and their home galaxy is generally considered to be in a different super-cluster, so in that case SW takes place an incredibly long time ago and quite a bit a distance away.

Tonguez · Apr 4, 2017

Olgar Shiverstone said:
Since Star Wars is science fantasy that operates along the lines of "a space wizard did it", consistent conclusions are pretty hard to draw.

Still, given how hyperdrives supposedly work, for long trips across the galaxy it might actually make more sense to jump out of the galaxy (perpedicular to the ecliptic) to get to an area of low star density, then cross the galactic disk, then jump back down toward the plane of the galaxy, rather than jumping through more dense space.

We know that large objects can pull ships out of hyperspace and as the Hyperspace lanes also seem to be fixed routes between planets/stars maybe they actually need gravity wells to stabilise their paths and ports - jumping out of a galaxy would essentially leave most craft adrift in hyperspace without a gravity anchor to provide an exit.It's a plausible limitation and explains why SW stars intra galactic

Mirtek · Apr 6, 2017

Actually it's not that far away as far as interstellar distances are concerned. In E.T. we see our titular alien point at a kid with a Yoda mask and shout "home, home". In EP1 we see members of E.T.'s species as part of the republican senate. So E.T.'s homeworld is already in the Star Wars Galaxy.

doctorbadwolf · Apr 6, 2017

Morrus said:
Nobody drives 2 days to work in either country. The length of the country only counts if you're going to cross it.

Are you...arguing that people from different places don't have different ideas of what constitutes "a long time ago" and "far away"?

Bc southern Californians and Central Valley Californians have wildly different ideas about what "far" means, and about what a "long drive" is, both in terms of distance and time.

And yeah, the idea of driving 150 miles (My place to Santa Barbara) or almost 300 miles (Vegas) one way as a casual weekend trip, or is mind boggling to my English cousins, but 100% a normal part of life for most people here. And they certainly have a different attitude about what "a long time ago" means in terms of historical events, how old buildings and institutions are, etc.

People around here are surprised and impressed to learn that my High School is ~115-120 years old. My European friends and family, not nearly so much.

The saying, like any popular saying about people, isn't, and isn't meant to be, 100% accurate of all people. But it makes a valid observation.

Morrus · Apr 6, 2017

doctorbadwolf said:
And yeah, the idea of driving 150 miles (My place to Santa Barbara) or almost 300 miles (Vegas) one way as a casual weekend trip, or is mind boggling to my English cousins, but 100% a normal part of life for most people here.

I'm English. It does not boggle my mind in the slightest. My parents live 120 miles away and I drive there and back in a day without any thought. My parents drive from Bristol to Dartmouth (similar distance) to spend a weekend in their chalet there like every other weekend, and it's 149 miles away. MY brother lives in Nottingham, 172 miles away, and I don't worry about driving there to visit him. My wife and I like to do weekends in Rome (well, midweek as its quieter), so we also happily catch flights to travel 1200 miles for a weekend. I can't speak for your cousins, but to think of them as mind-boggled by these distances makes them very unusual.

How long is a long time ago, and how far is far, far away?

MarkB

Legend

Mustrum_Ridcully

Hero

MarkB

Legend

Olgar Shiverstone

Legend

Kaodi

Hero

Viking Bastard

Adventurer

Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow

Mirtek

Hero

doctorbadwolf

Heretic of The Seventh Circle

Morrus

Well, that was fun

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