The One Solar-System Theory by zeke023

FIREFLY EPISODE DISCUSSIONS

The One Solar-System Theory

POSTED BY: ZEKE023
UPDATED: Wednesday, June 2, 2004 22:23
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VIEWED: 3703
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Wednesday, January 21, 2004 4:05 AM

Now, throwing out the fact that the sun would be a different size on all the planets due to the different distances (on mars the sun appears 1/3 the size that it looks on earth) - and the fact that it would have to be a yellow star or else the spectrum of light would be different and all the skies would be a different color (red?). I'm just throwing physics right out the window.

Lets go with this One System theory. It's gritty. Good for a RPG!

How many inhabbited planets and moons are there in this system?

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Wednesday, January 21, 2004 7:44 PM

SURLYBEN

There are as many as you want, but the show gives a figure from more than 70 to hundreds...

That said, there are many stable orbital configurations where more than one planet can occupy the more or less the same orbit (ie, lagrange points, moons, rosettes). Finding a system with a great number of planets/moons naturally in the same orbit is unlikely, but artificial systems are quite possible (the problem is one of engineering, not science).

As for sky color, my understanding is that the color of the sky depends more on atmospheric composition (which determines what color light gets scattered) than the color of the star. A blue star does not shine pure blue, but puts out light all across the visual spectrum. Mars has a red sky. Terraformed planets would have blue skies.

ObRosetteAdvocacy: In Objects in Space Inara asks Mel to drop her off at a planet because "it's a layover point for all planets on this side of the system." (I'm paraphrasing here). Most orbital configurations don't have "sides" because the inner orbits move around the star faster than the outer orbits. An exception is a rosette. The planets are all in the same orbit, and don't change their order. If a planet is on the Ariel side of the rosette, it's always on the Ariel side of the rosette.

--
http://www.contretemps.net

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Wednesday, January 21, 2004 8:49 PM

JASONZZZ

Here's a great simulation of Rosettes
http://burtleburtle.net/bob/physics/kempler.html

Haken needs a new development system. Donate.
http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=5&t=3283

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Monday, May 31, 2004 2:43 AM

LUPINADDAMS

The big problem with the one solar system theory is the habitable zone problem.
Carbon-based life can only exist in the region around a star where water is warm enough to be in a liquid state but so too hot as to be steam! This is a narrow band around our sun (G2 main sequence star) and though I don't have the figures to hand I suspect you can't fit hundreds of worlds in that band...

On the other hand, if it's more than one solar system and the 'full burn' is some kind of superluminal drive, I can't imagine you'd be able to use it in an atmosphere, as in Serenity...

Times like this I wish I knew more astrophysicists!

"You are what you do."
Andrew Vacchs

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Monday, May 31, 2004 7:21 AM

ANNIK

I'm afraid I'm not 'for' the OSS Theory. I watched Bushwacked again this weekend, and while discussing Reavers Mal definitely refers to the Reavers going mad by getting to and looking at the nothingness on the edge of the *galaxy*, not simply one system.

But you physicists might have other more compelling reasons to go one way or the other.

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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Monday, May 31, 2004 9:13 AM

SERGEANTX

I think so much of the confusion arises from Joss's desire to avoid cliche's of modern sci-fi, especially of the Star Wars and Star Trek variety. Thus we hear about moons and planets rather than star systems and light years, full burn rather than hyperdrive or warp speed. Much of the lingo and presentation of the 'verse seems intended to give it a slighty quaint, old-world sensibility.

I think the point was not to indicate a single system crowded with bizarre orbits, but rather to keep people from dwelling on the science of it and instead thinking of the various locations just as places on the frontier. I don't guess that was entirely successful, but then they didn't plan on giving fans so much down time to ponder every last detail of the setting.

Either that or they just couldn't make up their minds, which seems unlikely. Perhaps the viewer was just expected to make whatever assumptions seemed most plausible. This doesn't work quite so well when trying to put something concrete together for a roleplaying game however.

SergeantX

"Dream a little dream or you can live a little dream. I'd rather live it, cause dreamers always chase but never get it." Aesop Rock

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Monday, May 31, 2004 9:30 AM

ANNIK

Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:

I don't think the point was not to indicate a single system crowded with bizarre orbits, but rather to keep people from dwelling on the science of it and thinking of the various locations just as places on the frontier. I don't guess that was entirely successful, but then they didn't plan on giving fans so much down time to ponder every last detail of the setting.
SergeantX

(snipped)

LOL! Hooboy, no kidding. I suppose that navel-gazing and having idle hands really can cause serious problems, eh?

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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Monday, May 31, 2004 12:56 PM

CALDEEN

There are several reasons I belive that there is more than one system in the Firefly verse. OOG has a few. One, they were stranded out of range of anyone or anything. This would seem hard to do in one planatary system that has over 100 inhabated planets. Two, in OOG Mal's speech to Zoe while he is showing her Serenity for the first time. I don't remember it exactly but he says something like: "No matter how far the arm of the Alliance gets we can just get ourselves a little further." Now not only is this impossible if you are confined to one system since there is only so far you can go. This system would have to be awfully crowded and so would be fairly easy to control for someone with a technological advantage and superior numbers. There are probebly systems with more than on place in them. More than one planet or a planet and a moon, or planet moon and spacestation. I simply don't belive that all the places that Serenity visited were in the same system. That is also how I run my game. You of course are free to belive what you want and run your game however you want.

I am not worried about the bullet with my name on it. Just the thousands marked "Occupant".

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Monday, May 31, 2004 12:59 PM

ANNIK

This is my take on things, too.

But then, I'm not an astrophysicist, nor have I ever played one on television, so the chances of me being wrong always remain on the periphery of any space arguements I toss myself into.

Cheers,
Annik
... my sister's a ship. We had a complicated childhood.

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Monday, May 31, 2004 3:13 PM

VETERAN

Don't squat with your spurs on.

Quote:
Originally posted by SergeantX:
I think so much of the confusion arises from Joss's desire to avoid cliche's of modern sci-fi, ... Much of the lingo and presentation of the 'verse seems intended to give it a slighty quaint, old-world sensibility.

I don't think the point was not to indicate a single system crowded with bizarre orbits, but rather to keep people from dwelling on the science of it and thinking of the various locations just as places on the frontier. ...

...Perhaps the viewer was just expected to make whatever assumptions seemed most plausible. This doesn't work quite so well when trying to put something concrete together for a roleplaying game however.

I think your right on target Sarge.

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Tuesday, June 1, 2004 6:00 AM

CREVANREAVER

Go to this thread for some hypothetical answers to how Firefly could take place in one solar system.

http://www.fireflyfans.net/thread.asp?b=2&t=3267

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Wednesday, June 2, 2004 10:23 PM

CLEANER

Please don't ever think of this show as scifi you'll miss all the good things about FF, it just happens to be set in the future.

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