May the 4th Be With You
Tatooine-like Exoplanet Spotted by Astronomers
With the Star Wars series Andor back for a second season, it is only appropriate that astronomers believe they found a Tatooine-like exoplanet. You may remember Tatooine as the planet where Luke Skywalker spent his youth.
The exoplanet is located about 120 light-years away and orbits two brown dwarfs (also called failed stars because they failed to ignite like a regular star and therefore have low luminosity). As noted below, binary star exoplanets have been found in the past, so this is not unprecedented.
Here is the abstract from the study, Evidence for a Polar Circumbinary Exoplanet Orbiting a Pair of Eclipsing Brown Dwarfs, if you want to read more:
One notable example of exoplanet diversity is the population of circumbinary planets, which orbit around both stars of a binary star system. There are, so far, only 16 known circumbinary exoplanets, all of which lie in the same orbital plane as the host binary. Suggestions indicate that circumbinary planets could also exist on orbits highly inclined to the binary, close to 90°, polar orbits. No such planets have been found yet, but polar circumbinary gas and debris discs have been observed, and if these were to form planets, then those would be left on a polar orbit. We report strong evidence for a polar circumbinary exoplanet, which orbits a close pair of brown dwarfs that are on an eccentric orbit. We use radial velocities to measure a retrograde apsidal precession for the binary and show that this can only be attributed to the presence of a polar planet.
Of course, the Tatooine in Star Wars was in a galaxy far, far away. Hence, this are not the exoplanet you are looking for.
Television: Season Two of Andor
Finally, after two and a half years, Star Wars: Andor is returning to Disney+. The second season, premiering on April 22, will also be the final season, but that’s okay. I am just glad it’s back.
The season two trailer is all you need to become invested in what is the best of the Star Wars spin-off television series. And if you need to catch up, you will want to watch this recap of season one.
Andor is by far the most adult of the Star Wars series, consistent with Rogue One, which became one of the best Star Wars movies after the original three films.
Critics are already raving about season two, such as this statement by Erik Davis from Fandango:
I have watched the entire second season of ‘Andor’ and it is as good, if not better than the first. From an epic opening Tie Fighter heist to a finale that left me in tears, this show has it all. Hang on cause the last six eps are all bangers. Absolutely loved it.
Be prepared to want to watch ‘Rogue One’ immediately after finishing ‘Andor’ – it truly sets up that film and expands upon the characters and stakes in some emotional ways. Just getting to watch Andor and K2 on a mission again meant everything to me. The cast crushes it. The sets are incredible. Star Wars fans will adore this and all the classic lore explored. Big recommend for me!
All of this is proof that the owners of the Star Wars franchise have the ability to produce quality TV. We just need to hold them to this standard going forward.
Television: Skeleton Crew
On December 2, Disney+ will premiere Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, its latest television series trying to cash in on its Star Wars investment.
This is Disney’s quick summary of the story:
“Skeleton Crew” follows the journey of four kids who make a mysterious discovery on their seemingly safe home planet, then get lost in a strange and dangerous galaxy, crossing paths with the likes of Jod Na Nawood, the mysterious character played by Law. Finding their way home—and meeting unlikely allies and enemies—will be a greater adventure than they ever imagined.
Clearly, this series is targeted at children, though given how bad some of the series for adults have been, maybe this one will be better. Jude Law has signed on for this adventure, which is a positive sign.
Maybe this is Disney’s plan – rebuild the brand from the ground up for a new generation of kids. Given the earlier series that litter the landscape, that might be the best bet for this franchise.
I would have put my money into Andor, but Disney seems to have abandoned the adults in the room.
Stay tuned.
Update: I enjoyed the first season and hope to see more. It is better made and not as stuck to the Star Wars orthodoxy as the other television series, making it a fresh take on a well-worn galaxy. It may be Goonies with light sabers, but that’s okay. Plus, when you throw Jude Law into the mix, you get an edge that keeps in all the more interesting. A number of critics appear to agree, and Rotten Tomatoes gives the series a 91%.
- Zaki Hasan, San Francisco Chronicle: “Fresh score. For anyone who says the House That Lucas Built is out of ideas and has been picked clean, “Skeleton Crew” proves there’s still meat left on those bones.”
- Jack Seale, Guardian: “You’re best advised to pretend Skeleton Crew isn’t there until the holidays begin, and then enjoy it non-judgmentally, sprawled en famille eating chocolates from a round tin. This less-serious Star Wars is an escape to a happy place.”
- John Nugent, Empire Magazine: “This is a perfectly fun entry in the ever-expanding Star Wars canon: light and frothy by design, driven by a genuinely sweet cast of younglings at the fore.”
Videos: Behind the Scenes Look at the Evil Empire
If the political news these days is a bit too much, I recommend you sit back and have some fun with a few Star Wars videos. The For the Empire series provides humorous behind-the-scene antics in the Empire. One of my favorite short films is The Battlefield where a storm trooper encounters a Jedi on the battlefield for the first time. Or try A Certain Point of View for commentary on the Empire’s foreign policy.
It reminds me of the Star Wars skits from Robot Chicken, which are worth a second viewing as well.
While none of this is Andor, it is a welcome respite from today’s news. We all need a laugh or two.
The For The Empire series on YouTube uses Epic Games’ Unreal Engine to produce these high quality videos. It it quite a few steps beyond the claymation of Robot Chicken. If this is the future of animation, then Hollywood had better watch its back.
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