Star Wars Planets for Real
That’s no moon indeed! It’s a planet! A real planet. Designated as Gliese 581 d, This “super-Earth” terrestrial giant is estimated to pack a mass of 5.6 Earth’s into it’s 2.3 Earth radius. At a little over 0.2 AU from it’s very dim host star, the planet’s derived surface temperature ranges close to 233 degrees Kelvin, or about -40 degrees Celsius. The frigid world is not alone in the system. Home star Gliese 581 hosts at least 4 closer planets, all of which have confirmed masses larger than that of the Earth. Now things are starting to sound familiar…
According to Wookiepedia, Hoth is the 6th planet in it’s home system. It’s entire surface is encased in a sheet of ice and snow, with temperatures peaking at just bearable for humanoid life forms, only to plunge downward of -60 degrees Celsius by nightfall. Though cold, the planet is large enough to sustain an atmosphere and contain large quantities of ice water to support any indigenous life.
Since the launch of the Kepler Space Telescope in 2009, NASA has discovered thousands of new exoplanets nearby in our galaxy. Though Aleraan was apparently blown up a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, we are just now developing the technology to analyze the universe conceived by George Lucas using our own galaxy’s extrasolar planets as a reference. And what we are finding, is that his universe is not as foreign as we might have imagined.
I have conjured a collection of 8 planets (including Hoth) from the Star Wars universe which have apparent celestial analogs in our own galaxy. As fun and exciting it is to be able to compare these iconic worlds to real places in our universe, it is also important to note how George Lucas imagined how life evolved on each planet, and to understand that life may not be restricted solely to Earth-like worlds. As far as the search for life in our galaxy goes, “Do or do not. There is no try.” (Jedi Master Yoda) Enjoy!
Tatooine
Description: Arid desert planet on the outer rim of the galaxy first seen in “Star Wars IV; A New Hope”. Tatooine is notable for orbiting a binary star system.
Analog: Kepler 47c orbits a pair of stars over 4900 light years away from Earth. Though the planet is believed to be a gas giant, it is possible that this multiple Earth radius monster is indeed terrestrial. Though the planet sits near the center of the binary system’s habitable zone, the surface temperature of 47c would likely be scorching, akin to a desert, due to its thicker atmosphere from the enhanced gravity of the planet.
Bespin
Description: A gas giant planet with a comfortable upper layer of atmosphere hospitable for human life. Bespin is best known for its massive, hovering cloud cities which float high above the harsh environment of the gas giant’s core below.
Analog: About 50 light years away, immense gas giant 47 Ursae Majoris b orbits its host star about two times as far as the Earth orbits the Sun. However, the host star, 47 Ursae Majoris, is a bit more luminous than our own Sun, emitting nearly 50% more energy. The result is a massive gas giant orbiting comfortably within the habitable zone of its host star. With an estimated equilibrium temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius, the planet’s atmosphere is more than hospitable to construct hovering bio-domes in.
Kamino
Description: Residing in a remote sector of the galaxy, Kamino is a large blue world completely covered in miles of ocean water. Native species have all evolved to reside within the water, and land creatures are forced to live on massive cities erected from the ocean floor up to above sea level.
Analog: Erased from the memory archives, Kamino was not easy for Obi Wan to find. However, astronomers have identified Gliese 1214b as the next closest thing. A specrographic analysis revealed that the planet does not have a hydrogen gaseous atmosphere, and may even have large quantities of liquid water. With a radius somewhere between the Earth and Neptune 1214b is likely to have very strong gravity. This gravity would tear down any mountains and surface deformations that would attempt to form, and flatten the landscape. This flattened landscape serves as an ideal sea bed for water to accumulate, and the water would then evenly distribute across the landscape creating what scientists refer to as a “waterworld”.
Mustafar
Description: A searing, volcanic world geologically alive with heavy plate tectonics and seismic activity. The planet’s surface is covered in molten rock and lava rivers. The planet itself hosts few indigenous life forms.
Analog: With a likely surface temperature in the hundreds of degrees Celsius, Gliese 876d is a 6x Earth mass world orbiting a star about 15 light years away. The planet is on a relatively eccentric, or non-circular orbit, around it’s host star. This orbit causes changes in the strength of the star’s gravity on the planet over time, causing the crust to be stretched, then released in a cyclic nature. This gravitational stress likely gives the planet very high levels of volcanic and tectonic activity. Humanoid like would likely only be possible within the protective force-fields of mining facilities.
Endor
Description: A forest moon, orbiting a large gas giant in the outer rim territories. The planet is teeming with life, hosting a large variety of plant life and forest creatures alike, including the Ewoks.
Analog: KOI 433.02m is a predicted exomoon around a gas giant in the KOI-433 system. As if discovering an exomoon around an exoplanet wasn’t impressive enough, scientists claim that if this exomoon does indeed exist, it may be the most earth-like object ever discover by humanity so far. With an Earth-similarity index of 0.93, thick forests and complex life may not be a stretch for this large moon, which boasts a mass estimated at roughly that of the Earth.
Naboo
Description: An Earth like world, covered in vast rolling plains, hills, and mountains. It hosts a comfortable atmosphere and biosphere more than hospitable for the evolution and survival of life.
Analog: Kepler 438b is currently the most Earth-like confirmed exoplanet in our galaxy. It’s mass is 1.12 Earth’s, and it orbits it’s host star well within the habitable zone for carbon based life to thrive. If it contains a significant amount of liquid water, it’s terrain is likely to be very similar to that of Naboo. Hopefully 438b (unlike Naboo) is free of cheesy love lines about ‘sand’…
Death Star
Description: A colossal space station designed by the Empire with the ability to reduce entire planets to asteroid belts in a matter of seconds. The Death Star is known to have a diameter of about 120 kilometers and a crew of nearly 400,000. It’s armament consists of 15,000 turbolaser batteries, tens of thousand of imperial fighter craft, and 1 gigantic superlaser.
Analog: In 2011, KIC 8462852, a remote star over 1400 light years away, showed a curious dip in luminosity. This dip was duplicated nearly exactly in 2013, and again in 2015. Scientists and astronomers alike were baffled by this dip in luminosity, as the drop was far too large to be a planet, and not luminous enough to be a star. A theory was put fourth; an immense alien space faring superstructure! As of late, scientists have put to rest this theory, blaming the luminosity fluctuations on natural phenomenon, but this event was a wake up call that Kepler may not just be detecting planets out there.
