Altair
in fiction
From
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The
planetary systems of stars other than the Sun and the Solar System are a staple
element in much science fiction.
Star
Altair
(Alpha Aquilae) is a luminous white star in the constellation Aquila (the
Eagle) frequently featured in works of science fiction. Classified as a A-type
main sequence star, and located 16.7 light-years from Earth, Altair is one of
the few stars for which a resolved image of measurable nonzero extent has been
obtained[1] (see graphic[2]). It rotates so rapidly, with a period of just 9
hours – compared to 25 days for the Sun – that it is significantly oblate,
having an equatorial diameter more than 20 percent greater than its polar
diameter. It is a peculiar fact that among the authors of the fictional works
in this article, not excluding Hal Clement (who imagined dramatic equatorial
bulges for many of his planets), only Jerry Oltion (1999) has employed or even
acknowledged the striking physical peculiarities of this star (see
"Biosphere", below).
There
is no evidence that the system is home to any extrasolar planets.
Altair
is the brightest star in the constellation Aquila and the twelfth brightest
star in the night sky. With an apparent visual magnitude of 0.77, it is one of
the closest stars visible to the unaided eye[3] (most of the nearest stars are
red dwarfs too dim to see without a telescope). It forms a part of two
well-known triplet asterisms: With β and γ Aquilae it forms the straight line
of stars sometimes referred to as the Family of Aquila or the Shaft of
Aquila;[4] more prominently, it is the southernmost vertex of the Summer
Triangle, the other two vertices being the bright stars Deneb and Vega (see
High Sierra, below).[5]
The
name Altair is from the Arabic (an-nasr aṭ-ṭā’ir), which translates literally
as the flying eagle, from its belonging to the constellation. The star is named
and plays a part in a variety of ancient myths worldwide, especially in the
Western- and South-Pacific regions of the globe. In particular, in Chinese myth
it is called the Cowherd Star after the story of the cowherd Niú Láng and his
two children (β and γ Aquilae), who are separated from their mother Zhī Nŭ (the
star Vega) by the Milky Way. They are only permitted to meet once a year, when
the Milky Way is crossed by a bridge of magpies.[6][7]
General
uses of Altair
Altair
may be referred to in fictional works for its metaphorical (meta) or mythological
(myth) associations, or else as a bright point of light in the sky of Earth,
but not as a location in space or the center of a hypothetical planetary
system:
Sky position: RA 19h 50.8m, Dec +8° 52.2'
Common designations: Altair, Alpha Aquilae, 53 Aquilae, HIP 97649, HD 187642, HR 7557, Gliese 768
There
follow references to Altair as a location in space or the center of a planetary
system, categorized by genre:
Literature
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1978-
), novels and other media by Douglas Adams. The denomination of currency
commonly used throughout the galaxy is the Altairian dollar, native (of course)
to the Altair system. We first hear about this kind of money early in the
original book when we learn that Ford Prefect, roving researcher for that
"wholly remarkable book," The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, knows
how to see the Marvels of the Universe for "less than thirty Altairian
dollars a day."[11]
The Winds of Altair (1983), novel written
by Ben Bova. Earth is an old planet, and her teeming masses are running out of
resources ... and time. It is up to men like Jeff Holman to discover a haven
for Earth’s suffering millions. Altair VI is one such world, and Holman is
determined to terraform this alien planet into one where the human race can survive—but
there's a hitch: It is already home to a sentient race who are just as smart as
we are. Jeff "can’t help feeling that what we are doing is wrong. It’s
murder. Genocide ..." and he faces a soul-wrenching decision.[12] Still,
the long-term outlook can hardly be in doubt. "In his nonfiction and
fiction alike, Ben Bova makes it clear that survival for the [human] race lies
elsewhere than on this planet [Earth] alone..."[13]
The Tommyknockers (1987), novel by Stephen
King. Altair IV is a desolate, nearly airless world serving as a sort of cosmic
storeroom for objects from all over the galaxy (compare Altair IV in Film and
television: The Forbidden Planet below). In the novel, inhabitants of a small
New England town discover an alien spacecraft, and in he days the follow are
themselves transformed into super-intelligent but ethically challenged aliens.
Bizarre crimes are committed, such as the "kidnapping" of young David
Brown, whose jealous older brother Hilly teleports him to Altair IV where he
languishes alongside a trove of interstellar junk.
The Rowan (1990), novel by Anne McCaffrey.
The Rowan tells the life story of Angharad Gwyn, a Prime Talent (the highest
classification of telepath), from the moment the child's family and community
were destroyed to the time when she becomes a Prime. Gwyn—The Rowan of the
title—was the only survivor of a landslide that destroyed the Rowan Mining Camp
on the planet Altair. Buried under detritus and sludge for days, the child sent
cries for help and, thanks to the power of her young mind, was heard by every
receptive telepath on the planet.
Sunstorm (2005), novel written by Arthur C.
Clarke and Stephen Baxter. A giant planet that will plunge into the Sun
"with the mass of fifteen Jupiters" has been launched toward the
Solar System by the Firstborn intelligences of the Altair system.[15] The
Altarians, believing mankind to be a disorderly and profligate race, are
determined to stop humanity from wastefully "infecting" the
galaxy.[16] At immense cost, the planetary missile has been launched on a
collision course with the Solar System, with the intention of triggering a huge
solar flare (see animation) that will sterilize the surface of the Earth, and
possibly destroy humankind's ultimate refuge on Mars as well. Although
illuminated by a spark of hope at the very end, this generally pessimistic tale
marks a striking contrast to Clarke's usual liberal, optimistic view of the
probable benefits of technology to the future of the human race.[17]
The Romulan War: Beneath the Raptor's Wing
(2009), Star Trek: Enterprise relaunch novel written by Michael A. Martin as
part of the film, television, and print franchise originated by Gene
Roddenberry. The planet Altair VI has been attacked by the Romulans twice. The first
attack was blocked by the warships Columbia, Heinlein, and Kon-Tiki, and the
second was defeated by a task force led by the starship Endeavour.
Film
and television
Star
Trek
The
items in this subsection all refer to works in the film, television, and print
franchise originated by Gene Roddenberry.
"Amok Time" (1967), episode of
Star Trek: The Original Series written by Theodore Sturgeon. Suffering through
his first infliction of pon farr, the Vulcan biological mating urge, Spock must
return to Vulcan to marry his betrothed or he will perish. Solicitous of his
first officer, Captain James Kirk diverts the USS Enterprise from its original
destination, Altair VI, so that he can deliver Spock to his home planet.
Complications ensue.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982),
film written by Jack B. Sowards and directed by Nicholas Meyer. The film opens
with a space battle between the USS Enterprise and a Klingon ship that turns
out to be a holodeck simulation: the Kobayashi Maru test for cadets pursuing
the command track at Starfleet Academy. This simulation confronts the subject
with a moral and strategic dilemma. Should he rescue the disabled civilian
vessel Kobayashi Maru if it means violating a peace treaty with the Klingons
and the risk of war, or should he observe the spatial proscriptions of the
treaty and abandon the ship to certain extinction? As the scenario unfolds, the
damaged spacecraft reports that they are "nineteen periods out of Altair
VI," the closest starport to the disaster and a possible haven if the
Kobayashi Maru can be succored.
"Encounter at Farpoint" (1987),
two-hour pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation written by Gene
Roddenberry and directed by Corey Allen. Captain Picard and the crew of the
newly built USS Enterprise-D examine the mysterious Farpoint Station, which the
enigmatic Bandi are offering to the Federation—all while he labors under the
judgmental gaze of a powerful alien entity that calls itself Q. At Farpoint,
Picard wants to fire on a mysterious hostile craft, but is warned off by Q, so
he sends an away team instead. In an "establishing" conversation for
the new series we learn that Captain Robert DeSoto of the USS Hood was once
ordered not to beam down to the surface of the planet Altair III with an away
team because the excursion was considered too dangerous, and inappropriate for
a commanding officer.
"Prophet Motive" (1995), episode
of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine written by Ira Steven Behr and Robert Hewitt
Wolfe, and directed by René Auberjonois. In the episode, Zek, a Grand Nagus of
the venal and acquisitive Ferengi, has a change of heart and turns to a spirit
of kindness and giving—a development so out of character that it alarms the
medical staff, including Julian Bashir, the chief medical officer of Deep Space
Nine. A sub-plot has Bashir nominated for the prestigious Carrington Award for
medicine, which he ends up not winning. In the episode's back-story, Doctor
Henri Roget of the Central Hospital of Altair IV was a recipient of the same award
in 2371.
Forbidden Planet (1956), film written by
Cyril Hume and directed by Fred M. Wilcox, loosely based on William
Shakespeare's romance The Tempest. Early in the 23rd century, the United
Planets cruiser C57-D is sent to the planet Altair IV to discover the fate of a
colony expedition lost there 20 years before. The spaceship receives a radio
transmission from Dr. Edward Morbius of the original expedition (Prospero) who
warns them away, advising that he cannot guarantee their safety and that he needs
no further assistance. The starship's captain, Commander John J. Adams (Alonso
and Ferdinand—see graphic), insists that Morbius provide landing coordinates;
Morbius reluctantly complies and the C57-D lands on the "forbidden
planet." Adventure—and scenes with Robbie the Robot (Ariel) and the id
monster (Caliban)—ensue. The plot, mixing the tawdry and the potent, is very
sophisticated for the time ... The visual treatment was unsurpassed until 2001:
A Space Odyssey, made 12 years later. Despite its flaws, the film remains one
of the few masterpieces of science fiction cinema.[19]
"The Plot to Kill a City" (1979),
episodes 106 and 107 in the television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
written by Alan Brennert and directed by Dick Lowry. After capturing Raphael
Argus, a notorious assassin who began his career on Altair V, Buck learns that
the killer is to attend a conclave of terrorists. Buck assumes his identity,
discovers a plot to destroy New Chicago, is himself discovered, and manages to
get back to Earth to foil the conspiracy.
Doctor Who – The Ultimate Adventure (1989),
stage and audio play written by Terrance Dicks, based on the long-running
British science fiction television series Doctor Who. The story involves an
alliance between the Daleks and the Cybermen who have joined forces to kidnap
the American Envoy and ruin a peace conference on Earth. Doctor Who and his
companions fail to foil the plot, but follow the trail of the kidnappers to
Altair III, and then the Bar Galactica and points beyond.
"Tin Man" (1998), episode #19 of
Stargate SG-1 written by Jeff F. King and directed by Jimmy Kaufman. 11,000
years ago, the inhabitants of the planet Altair (P3X-989) were forced
underground by deadly radiation, and eventually transferred their minds into
exact android duplicates to survive. By the time SG-1 visits their planet, only
one Altarian remains: Harlan, who creates android replicas of the Earth team to
aid him. When this is discovered, the androids must remain on Altair, and the real
SG-1 returns home.
See
also
Altair
is referred to as a location in space or the center of a planetary system
unusually often in fiction. For a list containing many stars and planetary
systems that have a less extensive list of references, see Stars and planetary
systems in fiction.
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