The folks over at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics have been up to some useful research: arxiv.org/pdf/1407.4895v1.pdf Topic of the paper: NIGHTFALL: CAN KALGASH EXIST? Abstract: We investigate the imaginary world of Kalgash, a planetary system based on the novel ‘Nightfall’ (Asimov & Silverberg, 1991). The system consists of a planet, a moon and an astonishing six suns. The six stars cause the wider universe to be invisible to the inhabitants of the planet. The author explores the consequences of an eclipse and the resulting darkness which the Kalgash people experience for the first time. Our task is to verify if this system is feasible, from the duration of the eclipse, the ‘invisibility’ of the universe to the complex orbital dynamics. Conclusion: We have explored several aspects of Asimov’s novel. We have found that the suns, especially Dovim are bright enough to blot out the stars. Kalgash 2 can eclipse Dovim for a period of 9 hours. We also tested one possible star configuration and after running some simulations, we found that the system is possible for short periods of time. Several other configurations might exist and have to be explored more fully. My thoughts: A small period of time isnt sufficient for intelligent life to have evolved on Kalgash in situ... which is the premise of the novel. I never read Nightfall during my Asimov devouring days. I was told it absorbs you; the terror of the plot becomes yours. The school librarian said borrowers before me woke up in a cold sweat. Trivia: Isaac Asimov was instrumental in helping me survive the trauma of adolescence.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Jul 2014 18:30:17 +0000
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