# So, why didn't the Death Star just blow up Yavin? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 18, 2011, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709 "2011-09-18T12:22:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/41 "2011-09-19T19:58:40Z")
> [@diku](#): > > Seriously? As soon as the guy says 30 minutes to rebel base, Tarkin should say “Wait, let’s back up and jut blow up the big GIANT planet in front of the moon.”. I think that would’ve been quicker. > > Watching my blu rays too early on a Sunday. Answer: 5 more movies! duhhhh…winning!..:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/42 "2011-09-19T20:06:07Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Makes you wonder how incompetent the sand people must be. I figure they must be batting about 50/50 when it comes to holding the right end of the blaster pistol. Listen, _pal_, when you’re wearing a fully face-concealing helmet designed by PSYOPS primarily to instil fear in the watcher and a sense of dehumanization in the wearer, you talk about fucking blaster handling, OK ? The fucking brass, I swear to God… ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/43 "2011-09-19T21:57:12Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Although I guess another question would be, "Why didn’t the Death Star come out of hyperspace in a better position to blow the moon into dust? The obvious answer was that they didn’t know exactly where the Rebels were, just that the tracking device on the Falcon led them to the Yavin system. Once they got there, they could take reading and pinpoint the location. > [@](#): > > Or just pop into hyperspace for a couple of milliseconds. Who was piloting that thing?" Can’t answer that, other than to point out the nowhere in the movies did anyone do microhops in hyperspace. Maybe it’s not quite that easy. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/44 "2011-09-19T22:16:38Z")
And if the superlaser initiated a fusion reaction in the gas giant? Instant star. And the Imperials would be just a _leedle_ too close… ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/45 "2011-09-19T23:40:32Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > The obvious answer was that they didn’t know exactly where the Rebels were, just that the tracking device on the Falcon led them to the Yavin system. Once they got there, they could take reading and pinpoint the location. > Can’t answer that, other than to point out the nowhere in the movies did anyone do microhops in hyperspace. Maybe it’s not quite that easy. Good thing Mr. Scott or Geordi LaForge weren’t working for the Empire…(recalling that one episode where they “pop the clutch” with a spare bit of dilithium crystal during a wargame). ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/46 "2011-09-22T00:22:31Z")
Maybe blowing up a gas giant requires a different lens on the superlaser, and it was backordered. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/47 "2011-09-22T10:37:58Z")
The Death Star was built by Independent Contractors. Being as familiar with these folks as Tarkin no doubt was, he had to assume that they had cut corners all over the place. Just consider the untimely failure of the tractor beam! It’d be foolishness to try and crank that laser up so high without taking the time to inspect everything and shake out the defective parts. Time that they just didn’t have, lest the Rebels escape and protract this civil war for another two films. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/48 "2011-09-23T00:56:57Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > I love how people try to apply science to Star Wars. Just push that rock up the hill one more time, guys. I find your lack of faith…disturbing ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/49 "2011-09-23T02:53:01Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Can’t answer that, other than to point out the nowhere in the movies did anyone do microhops in hyperspace. Maybe it’s not quite that easy. Or maybe it burns through a ton of energy/fuel to jump into the FTL dimension, making it a waste to do it when you could just truck on. I mean, who cares, right ? What are the rebs going to do, blow up the Death Star ? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/50 "2011-09-23T05:28:35Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I find your lack of faith…disturbing Enough of this, release him! ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709/51 "2011-09-27T16:27:59Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > Well, we have other case history to suggest that “Knowing where best to come out of hyperspace” is not considered a critical part of Imperial Officer training. To their credit, any given one never repeats the error 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-didnt-the-death-star-just-blow-up-yavin/596709.md?page=2)