Object in Alderaan's Orbit

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2004-10-22 03:13pm

I checked out the frame's of Alderaan's destruction on Saxton's page and noticed an odd object in the upper left space over Alderaan. It is very faint and small, and I'm not sure what shape it's supposed to be, but it appears right after the planetary shield collapses, and a distinct line connecting it to the planet beings to glow at that point. It also starts shifting to the left. Has anyone else pointed this out? I never paid much attention to that side of the explosion before.

Here's the relevant images:

http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/dvd/an ... rame04.jpg
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/dvd/an ... rame05.jpg
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/dvd/an ... rame06.jpg
http://www.theforce.net/swtc/Pix/dvd/an ... rame07.jpg

I've got my own ideas on what it could be, but I'd rather hear some more solid speculation as to its nature before I make any conclusions.

Zac Naloen · Post by **Zac Naloen** » 2004-10-22 03:15pm

Darkstar pointed it out. he suggested it might be another ship helping destroy the planet.

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2004-10-22 03:26pm

Zac Naloen wrote:Darkstar pointed it out. he suggested it might be another ship helping destroy the planet.

Right. Because, you know, that's the first thing a sane person would assume, and is the most conclusive theory. I think his place of work needs to evaluate him for schizophrenia...

Anywho, I was thinking it might be a moon or a satellite, but the line between it and Alderaan strikes me as odd in such a case. I would think it's possible that it is some kind of tether that's illuminating from the explosion, which would specifically imply a skyhook of some sort, and a partiularly large one at that.

Utah Jak · Post by **Utah Jak** » 2004-10-22 03:31pm

I personally thought it wan't a skyhook. In my opinion, it was an orbital station of some kind.

Darth Garden Gnome · Post by **Darth Garden Gnome** » 2004-10-22 03:45pm

You can vaguely see it in the first pic, even before the shield collapses. If it is a space station, why is it reacting to that?

I don't know what it is either, though. Maybe the shield trying to bleed off the sudden surge of energy? Then again, why would it try to do that all in one place?

VT-16 · Post by **VT-16** » 2004-10-22 03:56pm

Could be that the station has a dim red color and glows in the light of the beam.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2004-10-22 04:36pm

Darth Garden Gnome wrote:You can vaguely see it in the first pic, even before the shield collapses. If it is a space station, why is it reacting to that?

I don't know what it is either, though. Maybe the shield trying to bleed off the sudden surge of energy? Then again, why would it try to do that all in one place?

If it's a skyhook, perhaps energy is being transferred along the tether.

Another possibility is that its a moon, and the line is a Lens Ray effect.

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-10-22 05:00pm

I don't think it would be a skyhook for the reason that a planetary shield would cut off the tether. We see where the shield is and there is no way the skyhook could have been in the shield. Then again, one could speculate that there was a hole in that portion of the shield to allow the tether to connect to the skyhook which would have been outside of the shield. But then, why would you build a station (a luxury station) that is not protected by the shield? *shrugs* Just another idea.

But like someone else said, it is odd how the object reacts along with the planet.

Tribun · Post by **Tribun** » 2004-10-22 06:43pm

Well, it can't be a moon, because Obi-Wan clearly states in the novel of ANH, that Alderaan never had a moon.

The Original Nex · Post by **The Original Nex** » 2004-10-22 06:56pm

I personally think it's a Skyhook. The tether connecting it to Alderaan Should be shielded so that anyone couldn't just come along and blast the tether. Maybe it's the Royal Families Skyhook?

Got any clips of it during the major explosion? Is it destroyed during the blast?

(Man, DarkStar really IS a retard isn't he....)[/i]

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2004-10-22 07:16pm

Skyhooks aren't moon-sized and teathered thousands of miles from the planet. Also, why would there only be one?

The Original Nex · Post by **The Original Nex** » 2004-10-22 07:19pm

StarshipTitanic wrote:Skyhooks aren't moon-sized and teathered thousands of miles from the planet. Also, why would there only be one?

The Royal Family could conceivably have a Skyhook many Kilometers long. Why would there be more than one of that size and prestige?

I only think it's a Skyhook, because, as of now, nothing else makes sense....

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2004-10-22 07:25pm

The Original Nex wrote:
StarshipTitanic wrote:Skyhooks aren't moon-sized and teathered thousands of miles from the planet. Also, why would there only be one?
The Royal Family could conceivably have a Skyhook many Kilometers long. Why would there be more than one of that size and prestige?

I only think it's a Skyhook, because, as of now, nothing else makes sense....

Why do you assume the royal family is automatically the richest family on Alderaan? Why do you assume the royal family has the funds to build a ship that must compare with the Death Star to be visible at such a distance?

The Original Nex · Post by **The Original Nex** » 2004-10-22 07:51pm

StarshipTitanic wrote:

Why do you assume the royal family is automatically the richest family on Alderaan?

You're right. I have no proof to support that assumption.

a ship that must compare with the Death Star to be visible at such a distance?

It's not clear how far away it is, it could be behind, in front of or even with the planet. Maybe someone else can figure out its placement but I can't.

What do you think it is?

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2004-10-22 07:55pm

StarshipTitanic wrote:Skyhooks aren't moon-sized and teathered thousands of miles from the planet. Also, why would there only be one?

It may simply be an artificial construct with a tether of some sorts (something has to be burning/absorbing energy there to be illuminating like that, as far as I can guess), without specifically being a skyhook. And it may be the only thing in orbit to be visible at that distance.

I wonder if someone could calculate its possible size.

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-10-22 08:34pm

Could it be a shipyard? Mabye a civilian one? We do know that SW shipyards can be huge.

Utsanomiko · Post by **Utsanomiko** » 2004-10-22 09:07pm

Techno_Union wrote:Could it be a shipyard? Mabye a civilian one? We do know that SW shipyards can be huge.

Well, it certainly doesn't have to be very solid or dense compared to a sealed spacestation. It could just be a large hollow docking facility or manufacturing system of some sort.

Techno_Union · Post by **Techno_Union** » 2004-10-22 09:45pm

And if I recall correctly, don't some shipyards have turbolifts connected to the planets they orbit? Or something long those lines.

StarshipTitanic · Post by **StarshipTitanic** » 2004-10-22 10:18pm

The Original Nex wrote:It's not clear how far away it is, it could be behind, in front of or even with the planet. Maybe someone else can figure out its placement but I can't.

What do you think it is?

It doesn't matter exactly where it is, it's still fairly close to the planet and it's huge.

Praxis · Post by **Praxis** » 2004-10-22 10:46pm

StarshipTitanic wrote:
The Original Nex wrote:It's not clear how far away it is, it could be behind, in front of or even with the planet. Maybe someone else can figure out its placement but I can't.

What do you think it is?
It doesn't matter exactly where it is, it's still fairly close to the planet and it's huge.

Shipyard perhaps?

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2004-10-23 01:18am

It's the wire holding the model up

(sorry...)

It's rather apparently not something firing at Alderaan, as it is insufficiently lit (there would be a lot more backlighting from any beam it was firing). In fact, it appears to only be reflecting light; any light it is actively transmitting is negligible (examine its illumination compared to Alderaan's in frame 04).

I don't believe, though, that whatever it is is actually connected to the ground. The lit area between the object and Alderaan could be due to light scatter from photons reflected between the object and Alderaan, causing light which would normally have escaped away from the camera to instead be reflected towards it. It is currently impossible to tell with any certainty what it might be, save that Obi-Wan claims Alderaan has no moon; given that it is likely he has been to Alderaan before (to give Leia to Bail Organa), he would most likely be correct in that claim.

nightmare · Post by **nightmare** » 2004-10-23 05:47am

The object in question is scalewise approximately 890 x 620 km. Assuming lined up and Earth-sized Alderaan, of course.

Some sort of orbital station. Habitat perhaps.. or shipyard. Alderaan had some minor shipbuilding capacity, producing things like the Alderaanian War Frigate and the Razor fighter.

dragon · Post by **dragon** » 2004-10-23 10:22am

Maybe it a rement of an old space elevator. I mean currently several companies are working on ideas for one. One idea they have was for using an large asteroid as an counterpoint and will extend to Geosyncronis orbit. According to NASA we almost have the tech to build one now so maybe Alderaan had one.

http://www.space.com/businesstechnology ... 01226.html

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-10-23 10:43am

It's a visual artifact. Big whoop.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-10-23 10:52am

nightmare wrote:The object in question is scalewise approximately 890 x 620 km. Assuming lined up and Earth-sized Alderaan, of course.

That "lined up" assumption (which I take to mean the distance from the camera matches that of Alderaan) is by no means assured or even likely.

Some sort of orbital station. Habitat perhaps.. or shipyard. Alderaan had some minor shipbuilding capacity, producing things like the Alderaanian War Frigate and the Razor fighter.

In the first frame it doesn't even look solid.