Far Far Away: Measuring the Moon in Star Wars Terms

If you’re a Star Wars fan (or even if you’ve just popped it on once or twice), you’ll know the magic of those opening words scrolling across the movie screen: “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away … “ As that epic theme kicks in, those words set the stage for adventure, mystery, and a universe so vast it seems beyond our wildest understanding.

But here’s a curious question that hit me while re-watching:

Just how “far” is “far, far away”?

If Star Wars is an entire galaxy’s distance from Earth, could we use this measurement to understand distances a bit closer to home? Say …

How far away is the Moon from Earth if we measured it in Star Wars “fars”?

With a bit of research over a few months – because the article was almost deleted due to how silly the subject is – I have created the following:

The Power of Fiction: From Galaxies to the Backyard Moon

It might sound a bit cheeky comparing fictional space distances to real-world astronomy. But actually, the contrast between Earth-to-Moon and the vastness of space is an ideal way to bring cosmic scale into perspective, especially for young learners who might struggle with distances beyond their neighborhood. Plus, if they love their fictional galaxies, what better way to engage them?

So, let’s dive into some quick space math and “far, far away” units. And I promise, no Jedi training required.

Earth to Moon: The Galaxy Next Door

To start, let’s define our “far, far away” baseline:

1. In Star Wars, the phrase suggests a galactic distance, something along the lines of 2 million light-years away from Earth.
2. Now, the Moon sits at just 384,400 kilometers from Earth, which translates to about 1.28 light-seconds.

So, how do we get that into our Star Wars unit? Converting the Earth-Moon distance into light-years (where 1 light-year equals about 31.56 million seconds) gives us roughly 4.06 x 10^-8 light-years. That’s a decimal with seven zeros before you even reach the number four – so, not very “far” at all.

Crunching the Numbers: The Galaxy-to-Moon Ratio

If we take our Earth-to-Moon light-year number and divide it by the Star Wars galaxy distance (2 million light-years), here’s what we get:

Earth-Moon distance in “far, far away” terms = 2.03 \times 10^{-14}

Or, in plain speak: the Moon is only 1/50 trillionth of a “far, far away.”

To put it in familiar terms: if “far, far away” were like traveling from here to Sydney, the Moon would be like taking a step onto your front porch. In cosmic terms, the Moon’s practically within arm’s reach.

A Fun Way to Imagine Space Distances

Comparing fiction with fact in this way isn’t just fun – it’s educational. It shows how close the Moon is compared to the massive, unfathomable distances in space and can make learning about real-world distances a bit more interesting. For kids who might not enjoy classroom learning, but who live for adventure stories, Star Wars metaphors are a great gateway.

So, next time you look up at the Moon, just remember: compared to a galaxy far, far away, it’s practically sitting in your backyard. And if anyone asks how far away it is, you can confidently say, “Oh, it’s not even a ‘far’!”

Who knew Star Wars could teach us a thing or two about our own place in the universe?

IMPORTANT: Here’s my sources and general knowledge used to create and back up this article:

1. Distance from Earth to the Moon: The average distance from Earth to the Moon, at about 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles), is well-established by NASA and other space agencies. For example, NASA’s Solar System Exploration site provides these figures.
2. Definition of a Light-Year and Conversions: A light-year is defined as the distance that light travels in one year, roughly 9.46 trillion kilometers, and it’s based on the speed of light at approximately 299,792 kilometers per second. This conversion – 1 light-year being equal to around 31.56 million seconds – can be referenced on sites like Space.com.
3. Galaxy Size and Star Wars Galaxy Distance Estimates: The size of a galaxy (about 100,000 light-years in diameter for our own Milky Way) and general estimates for intergalactic distances align with resources such as NASA’s Galaxy Fact Sheet and other astronomy sites. For the sake of the analogy, a distance of a few million light-years was chosen as a conservative “far, far away” distance, as this falls within plausible intergalactic scales.
4. Pop Culture Context: The “far, far away” phrase from Star Wars doesn’t specify a set distance, as it’s fictionally vague. However, comparisons to real-world scales help provide context, and Star Wars fan sites and wikis offer background on the franchise’s depiction of vast galactic scales.