Jump to content

a scientific view of seasons in ASoIaF


redguy1

Recommended Posts

these odd and erratic differences in the length of planetos's seasons has got me thinking about what kind of planetary system it is in. Most would just say 'it's magic' or 'why would you care if it was actually plausible?' I don't want to challenge the fact of a fictional novel series/ way of life, i just want to know. the summer that never ends is impossible for a planet supporting life and it gets me curious. maybe winter is caused by magic of the white walkers, maybe the white walkers are a result of the planetary system, or maybe i sound like a crackpot.



so as i can see it the cause of the drastic temperature changes are caused by planetos having a narrower and longer ellipse than earth. this causes planetos to be thrown around the survivable zone of the system. this only explains the temperature change, though. so in addition to that i believe there is a second smaller sun invisible to the naked eye that revolves so close to the sun that no one can see it. when summers are long the smaller sun is closer to planetos and when it is not the summers are short. the same goes for winter but in reverse.



its just a stupid crackpot idea


Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I find hypothetical scenarios interesting, Martin's said explicitly that it's just magic and he hasn't put any scientific thought into how it would work. I believe he's said that it will actually be explained in some manner by series' end, but don't hold me to that.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our own seasons are not caused by distance from the sun, but rather by the tilt of the earth's axis relative to the plane of its orbit. So, if you want to look for a scientific explanation you may do well to begin with the supposition that GRRTH or Planetos wobbles significantly on its axis. Perhaps it even has a second plane of rotation that causing its Northern and Southern hemispheres to spend more or less time facing directly towards the sun, in addition to the spin that causes the normal day/night cycle. Imagine picking up a globe, spinning it on its axis, wobbling it so its pole travels in a circle as it spins, then slowly flipping it upside down pole over pole. Ugh.. makes me a little sick just thinking about it. Somebody stop the GRRTH... I want to get off.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

There were some Dothraki legends that once there were two moons - but one exploded and brought down millions of dragons into the earth.


Perhaps, when there were two moons, the seasons were normal, and the explosion of one of them, made seasons like they are.


Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our own seasons are not caused by distance from the sun, but rather by the tilt of the earth's axis relative to the plane of its orbit. So, if you want to look for a scientific explanation you may do well to begin with the supposition that GRRTH or Planetos wobbles significantly on its axis. Perhaps it even has a second plane of rotation that causing its Northern and Southern hemispheres to spend more or less time facing directly towards the sun, in addition to the spin that causes the normal day/night cycle. Imagine picking up a globe, spinning it on its axis, wobbling it so its pole travels in a circle as it spins, then slowly flipping it upside down pole over pole. Ugh.. makes me a little sick just thinking about it. Somebody stop the GRRTH... I want to get off.

Gimbal Lock ahoy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...