Okay, so I read this thread and it occured to me: According to all this research, what the interstellar explosions from the movies look like? I am sure that there are all kinds of variable factors that would contribute to the appearance/behavior of the explosion, but surely there must be some educated speculation as to what exactly would happen. All of you people seem to be at least pretty smart, so someone has to know something.
Is this in response to a column of Unca Cecil?
‘Explosions’ in space movies are shown because the public expects an explosion when a space ship blows up, just as space ships make sound in space when shown in movies and TV shows.
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_360.html
I think explosions in space would be pretty similar to explosions on earth. Let’s say you have a pretty standard liquid-hydrogen, liquid-oxygen fueled ship. It’s flying through space. It’s got the L-hyd tanks next to the LOx tanks in a big aft section.
Then the Destructor Frigates from the planet Zetachron Ten fire a couple of incendiary torpedoes at the ship. This penetrates the hull, and causes leaks in both kinds of tank, filling the hold with gaseous hydrogen and oxygen.
The resulting explosion would be pretty ordinary - it would be the contained nature of the rapid oxidation that would cause the flying hunks of metal and gouts of flame. Gravity would be pretty much irrelevant.
There would be some differences, since the cloud of smoke wouldn’t drift upwards - it would probably form an amorphous cloud.
That which does not kill me just makes me really irritable
Third paragraph. I meant, “The lack of gravity would be pretty much irrelevant”