Klonor
08-09-2005, 06:33
In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Han Solo remarks that the Millenium Falcon is an extremely fast ship, bragging that it made the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs. Most people, at least those who know what a 'parsec' is, wonder what the bloody hell he's talking about. For those who don't know, a parsec is a measurement of distance, not time. 3.26 light-years to be exact. Now, how the hell would that imply any kind of speed? A snail might travel at a speed of only one mile per year, but after a year it has still traveled the exact same distance as a cheetah after one minute (*NOTE* Snails don't actually move that slowly). Speed and distance have no connection. No matter how fast you go the distance never changes. Or does it......?
Okay, it doesn't. But Solos bragging does make sense. Here's why:
The planet Kessel is next to the Maw Cluster. The Maw Cluster is a cluster of black holes. Many, many black holes. For those who don't know, black holes have a lot of gravity. Gravity so intense that even light can not escape once it has gotten close enough. Now, for most matter the point-of-no-return, the distance from the hole where escape is no longer possible, is a lot further from the hole than Lights point-of-no-return since matter moves much more slowly than light. But it's not one fixed spot for all matter. Something which moves very fast can get closer to a black hole than something very slow can.
Here's where we get to the Kessel run. The planet Kessel is the only place in the Galaxy where Glitterstim spice can be found. Glitterstim is a drug that, in addition to making you high as a kite, also gives you a slight telepathic boost for little while. Since the Galactic Empire, a very evil Empire, doesn't want their enemies getting that brief telepathic boost (Spies could be instantly discovered and information easily taken from prisoners) they have pretty much locked up all Spice on the planet. Only the Empire is allowed to use it. This, of course, has lead to a huge black market for the sale of Spice. But how do they get the spice from Kessel, which is guarded by many Imperial warships, to the market? Smugglers. But how do the smugglers, which are outgunned several thousand to one by the Imperial warships, get past the Imperial blockade? By flying close to the Maw Cluster to escape detection. The closer you can get to the Maw the harder it is for the Imperial ships to find and kill you. To be able to get close you need to be able to fly very fast. If you do get close to the Maw, and thus have to travel out of your way very little, then the distance of the total journey is less. Therefor, the less distance you travel on the Kessel Run the faster you were going.
Maybe this diagram will help.
http://67.18.37.17/595/43/upload/p1004228.jpg
The first flight path, on the left, shows a ship going widely around the Maw. A simple ruler will show you that that line is much longer than the line in the second picture on the right. That same second picture shows a flight path which is very near the Maw Cluster. Again, a ruler will show that the flight near the Maw is shorter. Therefore, it is easily inferred that, for the Kessel Run at least, the shorter the distance the faster the ship.
Thank you, and I do so apologize for wasting so much of your time.
Okay, it doesn't. But Solos bragging does make sense. Here's why:
The planet Kessel is next to the Maw Cluster. The Maw Cluster is a cluster of black holes. Many, many black holes. For those who don't know, black holes have a lot of gravity. Gravity so intense that even light can not escape once it has gotten close enough. Now, for most matter the point-of-no-return, the distance from the hole where escape is no longer possible, is a lot further from the hole than Lights point-of-no-return since matter moves much more slowly than light. But it's not one fixed spot for all matter. Something which moves very fast can get closer to a black hole than something very slow can.
Here's where we get to the Kessel run. The planet Kessel is the only place in the Galaxy where Glitterstim spice can be found. Glitterstim is a drug that, in addition to making you high as a kite, also gives you a slight telepathic boost for little while. Since the Galactic Empire, a very evil Empire, doesn't want their enemies getting that brief telepathic boost (Spies could be instantly discovered and information easily taken from prisoners) they have pretty much locked up all Spice on the planet. Only the Empire is allowed to use it. This, of course, has lead to a huge black market for the sale of Spice. But how do they get the spice from Kessel, which is guarded by many Imperial warships, to the market? Smugglers. But how do the smugglers, which are outgunned several thousand to one by the Imperial warships, get past the Imperial blockade? By flying close to the Maw Cluster to escape detection. The closer you can get to the Maw the harder it is for the Imperial ships to find and kill you. To be able to get close you need to be able to fly very fast. If you do get close to the Maw, and thus have to travel out of your way very little, then the distance of the total journey is less. Therefor, the less distance you travel on the Kessel Run the faster you were going.
Maybe this diagram will help.
http://67.18.37.17/595/43/upload/p1004228.jpg
The first flight path, on the left, shows a ship going widely around the Maw. A simple ruler will show you that that line is much longer than the line in the second picture on the right. That same second picture shows a flight path which is very near the Maw Cluster. Again, a ruler will show that the flight near the Maw is shorter. Therefore, it is easily inferred that, for the Kessel Run at least, the shorter the distance the faster the ship.
Thank you, and I do so apologize for wasting so much of your time.