(no subject)

[arethinn]

why this was in alt.traditional.witchcraft i have no idea, but...

someone posted an explanation for why, in Star Wars, Han Solo talks about being able to do the Kessel run in "less than 12 parsecs". a parsec is indeed a measure of distance, not of time. but the explanation they gave was that that system or area included a number of black holes. thus, in being closer to or farther from them, it would be possible to do the same "run" in a shorter or longer net distance (like adding up zig-zag segments), and what Han was saying was that his ship and he as a pilot were bad-ass enough to be able to shave it really close.

is this actually canon, or is this some kind of made-up explanation to account for what was just an incorrect use of an astronomical term?

Comments

[digitalsidhe.livejournal.com]

I have a few major reactions to this "explanation" (and this isn't the first time I heard it):

1. Even if it is official canon (i.e., even if George Lucas says, "Yes, I declare that this is the right and true explanation for that")... even so, it's still just a made-up bullshit explanation. Lucas putting his imprimatur on it may have consequences for RPGs, comics and whatnot else that's set in the Star Wars universe, but it's not about to convince anyone that this is anything but an after-the-fact dodge to try to retcon things into making sense. (Even those writing things set in the universe can still think to themselves "this is a crock of shit" while they write it.)
   
2. Considering what darkcactus says above, it sounds like the ability to put the ship through the Kessel run in "only twelve parsecs" is a function of the pilot's (and navigator's) abilities rather than the ship's speed. Since Han brings this up in reference to the question "is it a fast ship?", rather than "are you a good pilot?", it doesn't seem to make much sense.
   
3. The idea of having the Kessel Run be scored in terms of distance rather than time seems pretty weird anyway. I mean, black holes or no, it's essentially a slalom course: you have to get around a series of obstacles in your course from point A to point B. Okay, so striking one of the obstacles has a greater penalty for failure than just "you smack into an orange traffic cone and get disqualified", but it's still basically the same idea.
   
   
   Well, we've had slalom courses here on Earth for centuries. Yes, you could theoretically score them by distance -- check the car's odometer at the end of the course, or put a little distance-tracker on someone's skis -- but instead, we score them by elapsed time. It's much simpler and easier. I find it hard to believe that the Kessel Run would be scored by distance.
   

I do give this "explanation" full points for creativity and effort, but I still have trouble believing it. The Star Wars universe is, of course, George Lucas' own creation, and he can declare anything he wants to be canon within it -- but the rest of us still have the option of laughing at it and saying, "Dude, that's bullshit that won't wash." (And following it up with, "Didn't you bother to research your space terms before filming your epic space opera? You silly fool.")

[doublefeh.livejournal.com]

I can't believe I'm going to explain it in more detail, but here goes...

I always got the impression that it wasn't so much a slalom as it is a game of galactic chicken. If you're making the Kessel Run, you have a cargo hold full of illegal spice, and want to get the hell out of there as fast as possible. However, the best way in or out of the system is on the other side of a cluster of black holes.

According to physics, black holes suck. The closer you get, the stronger they pull. The more powerful your ship's engine and the more momentum you have, the closer you can fly to the black holes without being forced to learn what's inside.

Therefore, being able to make it in under 12 parsecs is impressive because the Millenium Falcon is still intact, rather than being a crushed-up ball of metal the size of a grain of sand with a few Han Solo and Chewbacca molecules left in the mix.

Crock of shit? Well, yeah, but at least it's a creatively explained one. :P