The StarKiller cannon is said to be hyper Lightspeed technology, what ever that is. I noticed this on my second viewing, and I thought about what exactly that meant. Obviously the beam had to travel at speeds above Lightspeed to reach its targets in other star systems. Similar tech is used to get starships between systems as well as communicate through he holonet in real time. But this is the first time 'hyper' Lightspeed is mentioned. This must mean something, like a new application of previously existing technology or brand new tech.

But what would hyper Lightspeed weapons be like? We see a beam propagate from StarKiller as if it was traveling extremely slowly for a weapon that is meant to hit far off systems, yet the beams strike within a short time. Then we see the light and explosions are visible from other planets not in the Hosnian system. How is this possible?

Well, maybe hyper Lightspeed weapons are visible in all points of the Galaxy within line of sight instantaneously because the 'light' is traveling at 'hyper' luminal speeds. No matter where in the Galaxy you are, as long as you were facing the direction of StarKiller and/or the Hosnian system you would have seen the red light of the beam and explosions in real time. This would give the impression that StarKiller and the Hosnian system were much closer than they were. Note that the planets are not viewed exploding, we only see the red light from the vantage point of a planetary surface. The intensity of the light also might not drop off with the inverse square of distance due to the unusual physics of hyperlightspeed. It's also posible that since an entire star is drained of, stuff, that the red beam could be like a nova or supernova in total lux.

This explanation certainly makes me feel better because the immediate interpretation that the heroes were seeing the actual Hosnian system like it was only a few million miles away really upset my astronomer sensibilities. But if we are seeing the unusual effects of an exotic weapon system and technology then everything is right in the Galaxy and we can go back to rationalizing how we can hear TIE fighters in space.

Also to my knowledge this 'explanation' has not been put forth before. Go me

I think it is a fairy tale with vague details on its technology, which makes it hard for me to speculate. I figured the views of the planetary destruction were from nearby planets, but I guess I was wrong...I don't know, the planetary distances and lights peed travel times are pretty vague in the Star Wars universe. Maybe things are closer together and easier to see in this fairy tale land.

The answer from the Story Group (and the TFA novelization) is that it's a "hyperspace rip" that causes long-range visibility - a side-effect of the weapon:

https://twitter.com/pablohidalgo/status/677919736873684992

Huh. That's kind of weird.

You know the worst part? It works. It'd be a hyper-effective terror weapon.

"I wasn't even close to that world, but I saw it die. All of it."

Ok good. I'm glad someone at lucasfilm was trying to explain it. Could have been easy to show in the movie that everyone everywhere saw it because of that, though.

I think it is a fairy tale with vague details on its technology, which makes it hard for me to speculate. I figured the views of the planetary destruction were from nearby planets, but I guess I was wrong...I don't know, the planetary distances and lights peed travel times are pretty vague in the Star Wars universe. Maybe things are closer together and easier to see in this fairy tale land.

Sort of like how there's enough air in their galaxy's version of space for sound to carry?

I think it is a fairy tale with vague details on its technology, which makes it hard for me to speculate. I figured the views of the planetary destruction were from nearby planets, but I guess I was wrong...I don't know, the planetary distances and lights peed travel times are pretty vague in the Star Wars universe. Maybe things are closer together and easier to see in this fairy tale land.

Sort of like how there's enough air in their galaxy's version of space for sound to carry?

That's been handwaved away in the EU by little computers that simulate the sounds to aid in situational awareness, hasn't it?

I think it is a fairy tale with vague details on its technology, which makes it hard for me to speculate. I figured the views of the planetary destruction were from nearby planets, but I guess I was wrong...I don't know, the planetary distances and lights peed travel times are pretty vague in the Star Wars universe. Maybe things are closer together and easier to see in this fairy tale land.

Sort of like how there's enough air in their galaxy's version of space for sound to carry?

Exactly! I was reading some of Grimm's fairy tales recently. Those things are nuts. Some are complete nonsense. Some hold together fairly well narratively, but others you just have to say to yourself, "Well, the person who wanted to tell this story obviously found the notion of 'consistent, believable encounters grounded in real-world phenomena' to get in the way of the story he wanted to tell." I am NOT saying this to argue against people who say they prefer more realism; believe me, I sympathize. I'm just saying I personally have reached the point where, when it occurs to me while watching these movies, I just say to myself, "Oh, hell, it's Star Wars and I'm having fun, so whatever." As long as it mostly stays consistent to some kind of internal logic, and the acting is good, and the characters are engaging, I can deal with it.

Now if only they'd release a reason as to why Vulcan was magnified enough that Spock could see it destroyed in detail while on another planet. I think that Abrams just doesn't bother with the whole concept of interstellar distances when a character can react to some tragedy by having to watch it occur.

IMHO it is best not to think about it. just enjoy the show and relax.. thinking too much in -any- movie leads to headaches and/or disappointment, which leads to frustration and hate.. the path to the dark-side, that is.

If it's a laser then you wouldn't see it once it left the atmosphere, if it was going ftl then there couldn't of been that scene where the people see their death approach.

It's a stupid weapon from a hack director that assumes the audience is made up of idiots that won't know how little sense it makes.

It may be less conventional FTL, and more "open tunnel and fire projectile through it"

It may be less conventional FTL, and more "open tunnel and fire projectile through it"

I like that concept. I guess that's what is meant by the idea of a hyperspeed energy weapon, but the way you phrase it is good.

Now if only they'd release a reason as to why Vulcan was magnified enough that Spock could see it destroyed in detail while on another planet. I think that Abrams just doesn't bother with the whole concept of interstellar distances when a character can react to some tragedy by having to watch it occur.

The Star Trek example is something that hurts me. Trekkies have tried to say that Spock must have been on a close by planet, and that Vulcan was a double planet similar to Pluto and Charon, with a barycenter for the system but neither planet being considered a moon of the other (because like Alderaan, Vulcan had no moon). Yeah, I guess that could happen. After all Kirk is sent to a nearby planet after Vulcan goes boom (spoilers!) so maybe the romulan bad guys had set up Spock on the same planet so he could witness the destruction. I dunno, none of this comes out in the movie, it's all secondary sources.

And that's way too much Star Trek in a SW topic. It was bad enough I had to sit though the next Star Trek trailer waiting to see TFA.

If it's a laser then you wouldn't see it once it left the atmosphere, if it was going ftl then there couldn't of been that scene where the people see their death approach.

It's a stupid weapon from a hack director that assumes the audience is made up of idiots that won't know how little sense it makes.

Dude, we just saw a guy stop a blast bolt in midair for a minute or more. It looked like 'lightning', similar to the Ren's sabre, which definately is a link between lightsabers and boasters. But is 'hard light' supposed to act like that? Lightning is basically a plasma occompanying an energy discharge (Electricity flowing due to high voltage), evidence that blaster a fire an unknown energy and incidental plasma surrounding the energy. But who knows.

In TFA: Incredible Cross Sections, it says that for blasters, lasers, and turbolasers, "energy-rich gas is converted into a glowing particle beam."

it's non of your scientific mambo-jambo, it's just midichlorian-poop. and that's highly toxic... and stuff. there, solved.

And in the Snowspeeder section of Incredible Cross-sections: TFA - it shows a cross-section of a repeating blaster- which has a laser emitter at the base of the barrel, and further down it "energised gas in expansion chamber".

So, I figure that what energises the gas in the first place, is the laser.

So the bolts themselves are "particle beams" - but it takes a laser to energise the gas to create the particle bolt in the first place.

This is pretty consistent with some older EU works.

If it's a laser then you wouldn't see it once it left the atmosphere, if it was going ftl then there couldn't of been that scene where the people see their death approach.

It's a stupid weapon from a hack director that assumes the audience is made up of idiots that won't know how little sense it makes.

You say, about a movie on magical space wizards.

Most people don't care, as long as it's a good story. As well they should.

Dude, we just saw a guy stop a blast bolt in midair for a minute or more. It looked like 'lightning', similar to the Ren's sabre, which definately is a link between lightsabers and boasters. But is 'hard light' supposed to act like that? Lightning is basically a plasma occompanying an energy discharge (Electricity flowing due to high voltage), evidence that blaster a fire an unknown energy and incidental plasma surrounding the energy. But who knows.

Well, we're already able to freeze light in place.

In TFA: Incredible Cross Sections, it says that for blasters, lasers, and turbolasers, "energy-rich gas is converted into a glowing particle beam."

In addition to this, the "Twilight Company" novel for Battlefront (also fully canon) makes it clear multiple times in the book that blasters are particle weapons.

JIm

So, what particles are being emited? And energy rich gas sounds suspiciously like plasma. Is tibana gas still the standard in blaster/laser weapons or is there a whole host of 'gasses' that can be used?

And what's up with Kyber crystals everywhere now?

It seems that they make turbolasers better (in ICS: TFA they're stated to be what gives the turbolasers of the Finalizer a faster firing rate and more power than older turbolaser designs.)

If as is commonly speculated, Starkiller Base is the planet Ilum - that would explain where the FO's kyber crystals are coming from.

I thought everyone knew lasers in star wars are actually plasma weapons, after all a human no matter how augmented by the force could not block a laser beam.

Hell we see people dodge bolts.

Which is why the weapon is more insulting than a cold fusion device stopping a volcano,but only slightly.

JJ fails at sci-fi and scifantasy.