Like "Tatooine," new planet has two suns
FROM TODAY'S PRINT EDITIONS:
Astronomer Alan Boss, of the Carnegie Institution in Washington, is reporting the discovery of a Saturn-sized planet orbiting a dual-star system. The discovery recalls images of fictional Tatooine, the sun-baked desert planet that was home to Luke Skywalker and Jabba the Hut in the “Star Wars” movie series. Tatooine was depicted with two suns in a hazy sky. Boss and his team detected the real planet with the orbiting Kepler observatory by monitoring eclipses of the two stars and their planet.
(PHOTO: Tatooine, from "Star Wars: A New Hope")
Posted by Frank Roylance at 12:08 AM | Permalink
| Comments (2)
Categories: From the Sun's print edition, Sky Notes
Categories: From the Sun's print edition, Sky Notes
Comments
In 1977 I saw the first Star Wars movie (on a full-size screen!) I loved science fiction then, two things stood out about the film. First, that breathtaking scene where Luke is sitting with two suns in the sky--fantastic. Then, realizing that the space battle scenes were exciting because of the sound effects, except there is no sound in space! Suspension of disbelief in the latter, now fiction becomes reality in the former.
FR REPLIES: I was always amused that the director insisted on having the X-wings and other craft turn and bank as if they were moving in air. Not the way spacecraft get around up there.
Posted by: Larry Esser | September 16, 2011 11:54 AM
2 suns, that would make going to the beach twice as much fun.
Posted by: Headshots Los Angeles | September 16, 2011 3:33 PM