Comments on: Picture Quiz: Psylocke

By: Meanderthal

Meanderthal — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 13:49:59 +0000

A parsec is indeed a measure of distance, although an unreasonably odd one

Not at all! The utility of the parsec is that it is geometrically derived; it’s a distance calculated from a distance, as opposed to a distance calculated from a speed and a span of time (like the light-year). As you say, it would be meaningless to an alien species, but it’s quite handy for us.

By: Flint Paper

Flint Paper — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 19:14:34 +0000

A parsec is indeed a measure of distance, although an unreasonably odd one — around 3.26 lightyears, a handy reference derived from two highly earthcentric units: the arc-second and the astronomical unit forming a right triangle with the parsec as the adjacent side. Not the sort of thing that would translate — really at all — to any extraterrestrial beings, even if they happen to use base 10. Not sure why it’s gotten the kind of traction it has in scifi, probably just because it sounds cool. Much like its related term, parallax.

By: EL

EL — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 02:59:23 +0000

Is it three moons or three suns (or two moons and one sun? Or. . .)?

I’m not sure that I am remembering correctly and probably no one will answer this, but I vaguely remember from astronomy courses that a parsec is the DISTANCE that light travels in one second, not a time? Of course this is comicbookland.

By: Marionette

Marionette — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 13:44:32 +0000

It’s very badly drawn for a professional comic?

By: Agent_Torpor

Agent_Torpor — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 18:08:43 +0000

Clearly, Tolibao regards this fantasyland of Dubai-Arabia to be the new Tatooine.

By: Andreas

Andreas — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 02:06:06 +0000

Apart from the geographical error, there’s the fact that the Burj Khalifa (formerly Burj Dubai) is TOO SMALL.

By: Vardulon

Vardulon — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:23:37 +0000

How can the first panel of a comic be set ‘48 hours ago’? The first image by definition sets the temporal location of the story. Wouldn’t the next scene be ‘48 hours later’?

By: Jeff R.

Jeff R. — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 01:00:38 +0000

There’s at least four moons, I think…none of the three we see can be responsible for the reflection in the water.

By: Will

Will — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 21:21:37 +0000

@Drafterman Perfect, but I managed the Dubaiville run in under 46 parsecs. You need to cut through Madripoor.

By: Drafterman

Drafterman — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 16:01:30 +0000

@Will

How about:

Dubaiville, Saudi Arabialand

48 parsecs ago.