MovieChat Forums > Silent Running (1972) Discussion > The light levels at Saturn are far, far ...

The light levels at Saturn are far, far to small to allow plants to grow

posted 11 years ago by jgroub
4 replies | jump to latest

Light diminshes with the square of the distance - the inverse square law. Saturn is almost 10 times as far from the sun as Earth is. The amount of light it receives from the sun is only about 1% that of what we get on Earth. That isn't anywhere near enough for plants to grow.

The movie would have made more sense if the ship had been around Mars; even there, the light is only 36% of what we get on Earth, but that would probably be enough.

I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] esskayess 10 years ago

Party pooper!

Seriously, that's probably true, but he couldn't very well hit the "rings of Mars," could he?

[–] jgroub 10 years ago

"Party pooper!"

Heh, heh, I do what I can.

Yeah, it sure looks better around Saturn than around Mars, that's true.

I want the doctor to take your picture so I can look at you from inside as well.

[–] spookyrat1 9 years ago

The whole "light" issue, including the third act "crisis" in the dome, was the weakest aspect of the script IMO, especially considering Lowell was supposed to be some sort of astro biologist/botanist.🐭

[–] raf-33 9 years ago

I just assumed that the heatlamps in the future must be far superior to what we have today, assuming that things will be superior in the future is a good way for people with an inability to suspend disbelief to not ruin a film for themselves. I have the ability, but I'm also great with logic.

Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived. -Isaac Asimov