slj@nmtvax.UUCP (11/22/83)
One question that I have been wondering for quite a while: how big is
the Death Star? I have come up with a figure of about 100 miles.
From the computer graphics used by the Alliance when they brief the
audience about it, one might say that the DS is about 1/15th the
diameter of Endor. This is the only view that makes it look that
small: ususally it looks even larger. Judging by the only good view
of it from space, when the entire Alliance comes out of hyperspace,
the DS is about 1/6th the size of Endor, no doubt due to its being
closer to the camera than Endor. Other views are from too close, and
all one sees is a large piece of it arcing across the sky. Noting
generally very Earthlike conditions prevailing on Endor, I guess that
it probably isn't smaller than about 6000 miles in diameter. [If there
are any physicists out there, you might want to point out any major
inadequacies of this guess.] Assuming that all the views are exaggerated,
and assigning a lower bound of 1/60th the diameter of Endor, this gives
a DS size of about 100 miles.
On the other hand, you might want to chuck out all views from space and
computer graphics. In that case, take the view we get from Endor when
Vader comes down to fetch Luke back to the Emperor.
(PUSH) I swear, that landing platform is the only governmental
parking space I have seen recently with no 'handicapped only'
sign next to one of the spots. Note also that like a good
Imperial, Vader or his pilot shows callous disregard for the
painted parking spaces and sets the shuttle down between them.
(POP)
The DS from Endor appears to occupy about 5 or 10 degrees of arc.
Noting that for the DS to remain over the shield generator, it
must be in Endor-stationary orbit. I don't feel like calculating
what distance from Endor that is, and I'd probably get it wrong if
I tried, but assume that it's three diameters, like with Earth, but
set the diameter of Endor at 6000 miles again. [Again physicists
can set me straight if they want to.] Note that in no shot of the
DS does it appear to be any such distance from Endor. Nonetheless,
for something 18 Kmiles away to subtend 5 degrees of arc is fairly
impressive:
sin(THETA) = opposite (mi) / hypotenuse (mi)
sin(THETA) * hypotenuse (mi) = opposite (mi)
sin(pi/36) * 18000 (mi) = 1500 (mi)
So I'll stick with my guess about 100 miles. According to the book,
the new improved DS is twice the size of the old one, so that puts
the old one at about 50 miles. If anyone can point out any data
which I've overlooked, I'd appreciate hearing about it.
S. Luke Jonesrh@mit-eddie.UUCP (Randy Haskins) (11/25/83)
It's probably silly to try and calculate the 'size' of the Death Star because... Anyone who would make a movie with parsec as a unit of time is not going to bother keeping a special effect in the same scale every time it is show. Just like the mother ship coming over the mountain in CE3K. Face it, these people just aren't bothered with details like consistent scale. The best you're going to do on the size of the Death Star is "Big." -- Randwulf (Randy Haskins); Path= genrad!mit-eddie!rh or... rh@mit-ee (via mit-mc)
rh@mit-eddie.UUCP (11/25/83)
References: <535@nmtvax.UUCP> Relay-Version:version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site duke.UUCP Posting-Version:version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site mit-eddie.UUCP Path:duke!decvax!genrad!mit-eddie!rh Message-ID:<958@mit-eddie.UUCP> Date:Thu, 24-Nov-83 17:22:39 EST Organization:MIT, Cambridge, MA It's probably silly to try and calculate the 'size' of the Death Star because... Anyone who would make a movie with parsec as a unit of time is not going to bother keeping a special effect in the same scale every time it is show. Just like the mother ship coming over the mountain in CE3K. Face it, these people just aren't bothered with details like consistent scale. The best you're going to do on the size of the Death Star is "Big." -- Randwulf (Randy Haskins); Path= genrad!mit-eddie!rh or... rh@mit-ee (via mit-mc)
notes@pur-ee.UUCP (11/29/83)
#R:nmtvax:-53500:isrnix:9900003:000:201 isrnix!jec Nov 28 18:31:00 1983 If you check the book closely (I don't remember the exact page), the new Death Star size is given (as, you will be glad to hear) 100 miles. Michael Conley ...decvax!pur-ee!iuvax!isrnix!jec
sanders@aecom.UUCP (Jeremy Sanders) (12/02/83)
> the new improved DS is twice the size of the old one, so that puts > the old one at about 50 miles. If anyone can point out any data > which I've overlooked, I'd appreciate hearing about it. Twice the size doesn't mean twice the diameter, it means twice the volume. That would put the diameter of the old death star at about 78 miles. Jeremy Sanders
rene@umcp-cs.UUCP (12/05/83)
Has anyone done any statistic studies on the size of the deathstar? A
friend of mine did, and the results were really interesting. I don't
remember the numbers, but even leaving only 1/4 of the available space
and giving minimum space per person, and counting only deaths from
natural causes (i.e. no automobile accidents) something like the
population of the world today (~4 billion) died every year aboard the
Death Star. The sheer volume of that thing is staggering! Would
someone like to figure out the volume, number of people, etc, so we
can see the rest of the figures? (I heard these at a party over a year
ago, so my memory could have lapsed)
- rene
--
"Peoles have feeelings, too"
Arpa: rene.umcp-cs@CSNet-relay
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