Depiction of Galaxies in SG-1/SGA/SGU # SPOILERS for SGU S1 &2 #

[Sllimy]

Sorry if this has been done before by the way, I did I search but couldnt find any similar threads. Also, beware of possible minor spoilers

It's always bothered me the way the Stargate has depicted the sizes of galaxies and the spaces in between them, mainly that they made them seem quite small. It wasn't so bad in Atlantis, where it was established that it took three weeks to cross the void between the Milky Way and Pegasus. However I found it a stretch to believe that from midway you could clearly see both the Milky Way and Pegasus.

In SG-1 and Atlantis what bothered me was how quickly they were able to travel through the galaxy. Granted they were using hyperspace, which was many times faster than the speed of light. But the galaxy is 100, 000 light years across, which makes it hard to believe they could get just about anywhere in a matter of hours.

But the main thing I have trouble with is their depiction in Universe.

In episode 16, Sabotage, the opening shot shows the Destiny with the Galaxy they were in behind them. Granted the Galaxy does not fit entirely within the frame, you can still see a sizeable portion of it. To be able to see the amount of Galaxy that is shown, they would have to be a fair distance away from the galaxy, well beyond the 'edge' of it. Which makes it very unlikely that Eli, Chloe and Scott could have dialed in, given the limited range of the Destiny Gates.

It seems to me that the producers are portraying Galaxies like giant bubbles, with a clear definition of where the inside stops and the outside starts. In a real galaxy, the number of stars around you would slowly decrease (Remember also that the distance between these starts is enormous) until eventually you couldn't see any stars. To then be instantly able to see almost the entire galaxy is. rediculous. Although it's true that we don't know how much time passed between them leaving the galaxy and this moment in time, it can't have been too long given that Eli Chloe and Scott are still in range.

I know they are using FTL drive and their speed isn't known for certain, it seems unlikely that after months or possibly longer travellng inside a galaxy, that as soon as they leave (or not long after) it becomes possible to view almost the entire galaxy. Thoughts, opinions? Am I reading too much into this?

[Rylor]

I thought about that, too. The answer is simple: Dramatic effect. Depicting the galaxies in that way makes for a stunning image. The distances in space are so beyond human imagination, that showing them accurately would reduce the effect the image has on the viewer. Sure, those of us who have an interest in astronomy (I myself am one of those people) notice that reality would look very different. But a visual medium like television must make some compromises in order to create an interesting image.

The same problem applied to space combat in Star Trek, for example. Dialouge often stated a battle distance of tens of thousands of kilometers, yet the ships seemed to be a few hundred meters apart at most.

Or in other words: I wouldn't worry about it too much Just relax and enjoy the beautiful image

[Sllimy]

I thought about that, too. The answer is simple: Dramatic effect. Depicting the galaxies in that way makes for a stunning image. The distances in space are so beyond human imagination, that showing them accurately would reduce the effect the image has on the viewer. Sure, those of us who have an interest in astronomy (I myself am one of those people) notice that reality would look very different. But a visual medium like television must make some compromises in order to create an interesting image.

The same problem applied to space combat in Star Trek, for example. Dialouge often stated a battle distance of tens of thousands of kilometers, yet the ships seemed to be a few hundred meters apart at most.

Or in other words: I wouldn't worry about it too much Just relax and enjoy the beautiful image

Yeah thats pretty much how I had it figured, just thought it might make an interesting point for discussion.

[PG15]

It's always bothered me the way the Stargate has depicted the sizes of galaxies and the spaces in between them, mainly that they made them seem quite small. It wasn't so bad in Atlantis, where it was established that it took three weeks to cross the void between the Milky Way and Pegasus. However I found it a stretch to believe that from midway you could clearly see both the Milky Way and Pegasus.

But they should. The Milky Way is 100,000 light years across (as you said), and Midway was about 1.5 million light years away from it, which means the galaxy should've subtended an angle of 100000/1500000 ~ 0.07 radians ~ 4 degrees as seen from the station. That's 8 times the diameter of the moon on the sky.

In SG-1 and Atlantis what bothered me was how quickly they were able to travel through the galaxy. Granted they were using hyperspace, which was many times faster than the speed of light. But the galaxy is 100, 000 light years across, which makes it hard to believe they could get just about anywhere in a matter of hours.

More math: if it takes 3 weeks to travel 3 million light years, then 100,000 light years can be traversed in about 17 hours.

[Sllimy]

But they should. The Milky Way is 100,000 light years across (as you said), and Midway was about 1.5 million light years away from it, which means the galaxy should've subtended an angle of 100000/1500000 ~ 0.07 radians ~ 4 degrees as seen from the station. That's 8 times the diameter of the moon on the sky.



More math: if it takes 3 weeks to travel 3 million light years, then 100,000 light years can be traversed in about 17 hours.

I think the writiers might have made hyperspace just a bit too fast. It kind of defeats the point of having the Stargate.

[hedwig]

More math: if it takes 3 weeks to travel 3 million light years, then 100,000 light years can be traversed in about 17 hours.

The Asgard seem to be able to do it even faster than that.

[escyos]

OMG! I am outraged. This tiny miniscule thing had ruined stargate for me. In fact Im gonna make a thread about it!!!!


(Im being sarcastic)

[The Flyattractor]

Remind me to never get stuck with any of you guys on a long car trip.

[Starrtom]

But they should. The Milky Way is 100,000 light years across (as you said), and Midway was about 1.5 million light years away from it, which means the galaxy should've subtended an angle of 100000/1500000 ~ 0.07 radians ~ 4 degrees as seen from the station. That's 8 times the diameter of the moon on the sky.



More math: if it takes 3 weeks to travel 3 million light years, then 100,000 light years can be traversed in about 17 hours.

Yep you're right, good maths and logic. Cheers

[Sllimy]

OMG! I am outraged. This tiny miniscule thing had ruined stargate for me. In fact Im gonna make a thread about it!!!!


(Im being sarcastic)

It doesn't ruin Stargate for me, I just wandered if anyone else had thought this =/

[thekillman]

meh.


i'm more annoyed by ship scalings. far worse than the depiction of galaxies

[Spimman]

I agree that hyperspace is too fast in the Stargate Universe for my preference, I prefer a Star Trek hyperspace speed where it actually takes large chunks of time to get across the Galaxy.

That being said, I got over it a long time ago and learned to live with it.

[Janus]

Remind me to never get stuck with any of you guys on a long car trip.

*Drives along at insane speeds* So, is now a bad time to mention I don't have a driver license ?

[Sllimy]

Remind me to never get stuck with any of you guys on a long car trip.

We'd probably end up complaining about how unrealistic it is that the car managed to cross the state in 1 hour.

[xIPascaL]

i've got that to but then i start thinking.
When you look at SG-1 then it does make sence because it had 10 seasons and they still haven't explored the entire galaxy so i think they only showed small parts of the galaxy its the same with SGA if you look at the deep space sensors they made small sections of the galaxy and they STILL havent explored pegasus entirerly and yes it does like .hat everything is getting smaller but that is because they keep getting new technology's in the show they first had a low tech hyperdrive in SG-1 but if you look at SGA they have got asgard intergalactic hyperdrives so that is 1 of the main reasons why everything looks so small because the technology is getting better all the time.

And about destiny's FTL drive... Yes you are correct about the speed it is not known how fast it goes but in that episode where they crossed the masive void between 2 galaxy's it only took them a few hours mayby minutes but thats because Destiny's FTL is differend then Hyperspace travel look at the asgard they've got FTL drives aswell and it took them 1 or 2 seconds to get SG-1 to another galaxy in the episode unnatruel selection and the ancients have better technology as the asgard but still destiny is thousends mayby millions of years old but it was better then what the asgard had because the ancients were and still are the most advanced race in the stargate universe

alright lets get back to the FTL part xD.
i think Destiny's FTL drive is faster then they make you believe. because they cross the massive void between 2 galaxy's in a very short time but isnt that logic.
Destiny was made to check every gate in the universe and if you would cross a galaxy at full speed al the time then you would drain simpely to much power and then it has to get much more power out of the stars and much more oftern so it would take to much time and in SGU Rush said that the ftl drive have to be operational for a minimum of 4 hours so it isnt posible when Destiny is checking the gates in a galaxy it would destroy the drive. but if you look at intergalactic travel then it is possible because there is a larger distance so you need to go faster and it has to take as less time possible because Destiny has to keep working on its mission.

ohw yeah about the galaxy thingy xD its mostly for the effect but not always because not every galaxy is as large as the milky way you've got ours wich is 100,000 light years across but you've also got larger galaxy's and dwarf galaxy's so next time you watch that episode of SGU where they cross galaxy's then think that the galaxy where they'r comming from is a dwarf galaxy and the other one is just a normal but it looks larger because of the distance

i hope it helped
if it didn't then its because my english is bad xD

ohw yeah and enjoy SGU